Raising The Past
by loopydreamer
Summary: The FBI reopen a case Jo got caught up in 5 years ago. She's desperate to reveal the truth about what really happened, and to protect the people she loves she attempts to push them away and strikes out on her own. However Mac will do everything he can to protect her. Will she let him help her? Mac/Christine romance to start with. How long will that last? ;) Russ is in this story.
1. Chapter 1

_**HELLO. I'M BACK AGAIN WITH ANOTHER STORY LOL!**_

_**HMMM! I WONDER HOW THIS ONE IS GOING TO TURN OUT?**_

_**ANYWAY HERE GOES :)**_

_**PLEASE R&R :)**_

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- _**RAISING THE PAST.**_ -

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- _**CHAPTER 1.**_ -

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Jo tapped on Mac's door.

He looked up, smiled and waved her in.

She walked into his office and dropped the case file on his desk. "There you go."

Mac raised his eyebrows at her. "You've finished it already?"

"I didn't have much to write up. Danny did most of it." She sat down in the chair opposite his desk and sighed. "It's been a busy day."

"Yea it has." He glanced across at her. " look tired. Go home."

She gazed down at her watch. It was nearly 21:00. "You should be getting home too. You were at a crime scene at five this morning remember?"

He looked back down at his notes. "I'll head out of here when I've completed this."

She leaned across his desk. "What are doing?"

"I need to check the physical evidence report from the Luis Edwards case and get it to the D.A's office." He answered.

"Mac. That doesn't have to be in until Tuesday."

He gazed back at her. "I know, but Christine isn't closing the restaurant until 22:00, so I might aswell hang around here for another hour and finish this."

"Oh . . . Okay." She leaned back in the seat, her smile fading ever so slightly. "So . . . Are you two going out tonight?"

"No. We're staying in." He glanced back at her. "Are you going straight home?"

She kept her eyes steady on his. "I'm . . . swinging by a friends house."

Don had told Mac that he and two Officers had spotted her along Upper West Side driving along Columbus Avenue in her car late Monday and Wednesday night. Could she be dating someone? Mac was suddenly shocked at the sudden rush of emotions that accompanied that thought. He gazed back at her. _I'm protective of her. There's nothing wrong with_ _that. We're close friends. _"So . . Who are you visiting tonight? Someone I know?"

She held his gaze for a couple of seconds, then broke eye contact. "Uh. . . no, he isn't" She started to rise out of the chair.

Mac got quickly to his feet. _He?. . . My God. She's actually seeing . . . a guy?_ At first he couldn't quite figure out the intense emotion that slammed through him. He just didn't understand it. He couldn't remember ever feeling so riled up, agitated . . . or bitter about something like this. . . It suddenly hit him like a bolt out of the blue. _Jealous? How the hell can I be Jealous?!_

Jo whirled back around and met Mac's intense gaze. She frowned. "You okay?"

Quickly, he plastered on a smile. "Yea. . . Have a good evening."

"You too." She turned away, let out a heavy breath and walked quickly out of his office. _For_ _God sake Jo. Just move on._

Mac watched her disappear down the corridor. He stood there for several moments, trying to figure out what the hell just happened, but he could come up with no feasible explanation. He tried to get back to work, but he couldn't seem to shake these insane feelings from his mind.

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_**21:30.**_

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Seth Turner leaned forward in his seat and checked the web site again. He still had no answers. _Dammit!_ He leaned back in his seat and kicked the desk. _Where the hell do I go from here? _

He heard a knock on the door and rose anxiously out of his seat. _Who the hell could that be? _ He turned off the laptop, then opened up the side drawer and pulled out his gun.

Jo knocked again. "Seth. I know you're in there."

Seth released a long, relieved breath and swore inwardly. "Great." He whispered.

Jo jammed her hands in her pockets and turned back to the front door. "Colin called me Seth. He's worried about you. Please. Just let me in."

He pushed the gun into his back pocket and moved quickly toward the front door. He took a deep steady breath, unlocked it and swung it open. "Hey. I was uh . . . in the bathroom. Sorry about that." He shifted his eyes out across the quiet street.

He was nervous, on edge and this didn't go unnoticed by Jo.

Quickly he glanced back at her. "Look. I'm working from home right now and I'm really busy, and as for Colin, I have no idea why he could possibly be worried about me. I'm absolutely fine."

She smiled. "Good. Now let me in. I need a coffee."

"I'm busy Jo."

She sighed inwardly. "Just give me fifteen minutes. Then I'll go."

He brought his hands to his hips and stared down at her. "You haven't shown me your badge, so I'm not letting you in."

He went to close the door.

Jo slammed her foot in it. "Don't throw that at me Seth. I'm here as a friend and you know it."

Seth stared through the gap at her for a long moment. He muttered under his breath. "Fine. Fifteen minutes." He opened the door, ushered her in and glanced back down the street, before locking the door behind him.

Jo followed him into the kitchen and watched him as he filled the kettle. "So. . . How's work going?"

"Good. My little business empire is growing." He smiled back at her. "I might be able to buy you a Ferrari in . . . hmm, lets think . . . five, ten years?"

She chuckled. "You'll get there. Your alarm systems are decently priced."

"Yea. We're doing well with sales."

She gazed around the room and frowned. "How many alarm systems have you got wired up around this house anyway?"

Seths smile faded. "I'm carrying out a test on our latest model." He murmured quietly.

Jo turned back and met his gaze.

He moved quickly back to the counter and poured her a coffee. "So. How's life as a CSI Detective? I have to say it, when you retired from the FBI I was over the moon."

Jo heard the disdain in his voice. Why did he always have to do this when she came round. She sighed heavily and decided that it was probably best to let this go for now. "You know I'm loving the job." She leaned across the breakfast bar and sighed lightly. "The people I work with are . . . great." She looked back at Seth and inhaled sharply.

He chuckled as he turned back and placed the coffee next to her. "Who's the man?" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the shocked expression on her face. He laughed. "Jo. It's obvious with that dreamy sigh thing you've got going on there that clearly you've . . ."

"Okay stop!" She interrupted anxiously.

He frowned. "Calm down. I was just. . ."

"Calm down? Seth. You're carrying a gun around in your back pocket?"

He closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. _Of course she'll make it out over the baggy jumper._ _She's a detective you Idiot!_

Jo moved quickly around the breakfast bar toward him. "You need to tell me what's going on."

He cursed inwardly. "Nothing going on Jo."

"I don't believe you. You're acting nervous, on edge. I can see it in your eyes." She pointed across the room. "You've got two extra locks on that door. They weren't there two weeks ago." She turned back to him. "And you've installed another alarm system."

Seth raised his voice at her."I have one alarm system installed Jo!"

"No you haven't."

He gripped her lower arm and started to lead her to the front door. "You need to leave."

She yanked herself free and gazed anxiously back at him. "Seth. You've cocooned yourself in here. Colin tells me you hardly leave the house now. Please. Just tell me what's going on. I can help."

Suddenly Seth saw movement at the window. His eyes widened.

Jo followed his gaze.

"Get down!" Seth pushed Jo to the ground just as a gun shot went off.

A split second later, another bullet crashed through the window and buried itself in the wall behind them. She heard footsteps hurrying away and she pushed herself to her feet, drew her gun from her holster and moved quickly around the room toward the window. She peeked outside. "Oh God." Her breaths were coming shallow and rapid, and the adrenaline was slamming through her system like a jack hammer. "Okay. . . They've taken off." She grabbed her phone from her pocket. "Seth." She looked back to the kitchen area. "Seth?!" Fear and Panic tightened her chest. She raced back around the breakfast bar and collapsed down beside him. "No! . . ." She yanked off her coat and pressed it to the bullet wound. "You have to stay with me! You hear me?"

Slowly he opened his eyes and grabbed her. "Jo. Find . . . .the . . box." His hand started to slip from her arm.

_Box? What box!_ "We'll find it together! Seth. No don't close your eyes. Look at me!"

Tears stung her eyes, but she forced herself to hold it together as she shakily pressed down on her phone and called for an ambulance.

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_**21:45.**_

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Don drew to a stop outside 166 W88th Street and exited his vehicle. A couple of Officers had arrived several minutes ago and were already cordoning off the area. He walked over to Detective Gary Winters and looked up at the property. "Nice Place. What have we got?"

"It's a shooting." Gary turned to face him. "Two shots were fired around the side of the property. Male caucasian. A Seth Turner. 42 years of age. He's dead."

Don muttered under his breath and looked back at the house. "Any witnesses?"

Gary stepped in front of him. "Jo's inside."

Don frowned. "Jo shouldn't have turned up at a crime scene. She's got the night off."

"No. Don, she was in the house when it happened."

Don's eyes widened. "What?"

"She was visiting Seth and. . ."

Don whirled around and sprinted toward the house.

"She's okay!" Gary called after him. He watched him disappear inside and swore inwardly. This was gonna be a long night.

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Jo had been pacing around the small courtyard at the back of the property trying to pull herself together when she heard the back door come flying open. She spun around and saw Don hurrying toward her. She quickly turned away and wiped her eyes with her coat sleeve.

"Jo." He strode in front of her and scanned her body for injuries. Fear rose up in him when he saw the blood stains on the front of her shirt.

"Don. I'm fine. The blood's . . . not mine."

"Thank God." he whispered shakily. He swore inwardly and moved the phone away from his ear for several seconds, before bringing it back toward him. "Mac stop shouting down the phone. She's right in front of me. She's fine."

Jo raised her eyebrows. "You phoned Mac?"

A huge wave of relief swept through Mac. He forced himself to take some steady breaths, then walked quickly into the restaurant and started searching the place for Christine.

"Of course I phoned Mac." Don answered exasperatedly. "Don't you think he should be informed that someone fired two shots into this damn house tonight and you happened to be inside visiting a Seth Turner . . ." Suddenly he heard Mac shouting loudly down the phone. Don brought the phone back to his ear. "What Mac?" He asked tersely.

"She was with Seth Turner?!"

Don frowned and glanced back at her. "Yes."

Mac came to a sudden halt and stared anxiously down at his phone. "Where are you?"

"166. W88th." Don answered.

_Ah Crap! I knew that name sounded familiar._

Christine appear from the kitchen and smiled brightly. "Mac!"

He turned quickly and saw her quickening her pace toward him. "Hi. I'm just about to close . . ."

"I'm sorry. I've got to work." Mac interrupted quickly.

Her smile vanished from her face. "But . . . You said you had tonight covered."

"Yea. I know, but this is . . . kind of urgent. I'm sorry. I'll be back as soon as I can." He kissed her on the cheek, turned around then hurried out of the restaurant.

She gazed out of the window at him and sighed heavily as he jumped in his car and drive away. "I guess I'll see you later then." She whispered.

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Jo grabbed the phone off Don. "Mac. You don't have to come up here. Just enjoy your evening with Christine."

Mac started the car and accelerated off up the road. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine. Don's just told me that Sheldon and Danny are on their way . . ."

"Jo. Why were you visiting Seth Turner?"

She stopped dead in her tracks and her breath stalled in her throat. Of course he knew about Seth Turner. He'd read her file. Slowly she brought the phone away from her ear and dropped it in Don's hand.

Mac took a short cut through a side street and floored the gas up 6th Avenue. He pressed the phone closer to his ear. "Jo? Talk to me!"

Don sighed and brought his phone back to his ear. "I don't think she wants to talk about this over the phone Mac. She's on her way back inside."

Mac cursed loudly. "Don't let her go anywhere near the crime scene. I'll be there in a couple of minutes."

Don frowned. "What's this about Mac? . . ." _Dammit. He's hung up. He_ shoved the phone back in his pocket and walked quickly into the house.

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Jo quickened her pace through the hallway and came to an abrupt stop when she reached the Dining area. Her mind started to race as she stared down at Seth's body. _The box. . . I need to_ _find it._

Don walked up behind her. "C'mon Jo. You need to get out of here."

She whirled around, brushed passed him and hurried back down the hallway.

"Jo wait!" Don turned back and tore off after her.

Jo hurried into Seth's Study and grabbed a pair of latex gloves from her pocket.

Don moved in front of her. "Okay. That's far enough. You need to leave this one alone."

"I . . . can't do that." She scanned the large study and her eyes settled on a huge glass cabinet that stood in the far corner of the room. Her eyes widened. . . _Boxes. _She pushed passed him and quickened her pace to the cabinet.

Don frowned and followed her to the cabinet. "What are you looking for?"

She gazed in at the nine boxes. They must have been well over 300 years old. Definitely 18th century and Chinese in origin. She shifted her gaze to the middle shelf. There were two beautifully carved boxes on this shelf, but she wasn't looking at them. She'd noticed a large gap right in the centre. The prime spot for a box to be.

Don turned her back to face him. "Jo. Talk to me."

She gazed back at the cabinet. "I need to find a missing box." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He followed her gaze. "Okay. Theres something missing from this cabinet, but does it have to be a box?"

"Look. I know there's a box missing."

"How do you know?" Don asked curiously.

Russ came to an abrupt stop at the doorway. When he saw Jo his heart leapt to his throat. He stared across the room at her in disbelief. "My God. Jo?"

Her eyes flashed across the room at Russ. _Oh Great. _She swallowed hard and turned to face him. "You're here?"

He walked quickly toward her. "Are you hurt?" he asked anxiously, staring down at her bloodstained shirt.

She shook her head and glanced away.

Russ tore his gaze from her and turned to Don. "The FBI are working this case. If we need your assistance, we'll call you."

Don stared angrily at him. "What?"

Jo met Russ's intense gaze and narrowed her eyes at him. "When did you reopen this case?"

Russ sighed heavily and rubbed at his forehead. "Several months ago."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Several months? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't tell you for your own safety." He gazed sternly back at her. "But that didn't quite work out did it. You could have got yourself killed tonight."

"What do you mean, for my own safety? Is this about. . ."

Russ cut her off quickly. "I can't divulge any information on this case Jo. You know that."

Suddenly four Agents walked into the room and started loading Seth's books and Files into cardboard boxes. She spun around and watched anxiously as one of the Agents grabbed Seth's laptop. "Wait! I need to look at that. Give me a couple of minutes. . ."

Russ stepped in front of her. "No! You're not in the FBI now remember? I'm not letting you anywhere near this case. You stay away from it."

She fixed him with a defiant glare. "Fine." She pulled away from him and took one last look around.

Russ watched her start to head out of the room. "Jo!"

She slowed to a stop, hesitated and glanced back at him. "What?"

"You need to tell me if you know anything that could help with this investigation."

She swallowed hard and shifted her gaze to Don. "I don't know anything."

Don stared back at her totally dumbfounded.

Russ sighed inwardly. "I'm gonna pop by the CSI Department around 10:00 tomorrow morning. After some sleep you might remember something."

She fixed him with a hard stare. "If I was to tell you, would you believe me this time?"

He cursed under his breath and glanced back at her. "Look I'm sorry about Seth."

She stared sternly back at him. "You're sorry? You closed this case Russ and now Seth's dead."

He strode toward her. "Hey. That's not fair."

"Isn't it?" She leaned towards him. "Someone got away that night."

Russ sighed heavily. "Jo. He was cleared."

"You never believed me."

Quickly, Don moved toward them. "What the hell's going on here?"

She broke eye contact and moved around Russ. "I'm going home."

Russ pulled his car keys out of his pocket. "I'm taking you home."

"No. Your not . . ."

"I'll make sure she gets home."

Jo spun around and saw Mac standing in the hallway gazing intently back at her. She released a long, unsteady breath and pulled away from Russ. "I'm absolutely fine. I can get myself home."

Mac pushed away from the wall as she bolted passed him. Russ was just about to tear after her when Mac stood in his path. "Now that the FBI are on this case you're gonna be busy here right?"

Russ quickly looked back into Seths Study. Mac was right. He needed to be here.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure she gets home."

Russ glanced back at Mac. "Okay . . . Okay thanks."

"Russ. Is she safe."

Russ released a long, unsteady breath. "I don't know Mac.".

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_**22:30**_

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All she'd wanted to do was drive away from there on her own. She needed some space to think. But now she was stuck in her apartment with Mac. He was so damn persistent that she'd ended up letting him in. That had been a mistake. He was refusing to leave now.

Mac walked across to the room and placed the mug of hot tea in front of her. He sat down on the chair opposite hers and gazed at her for a long moment. "Tell me about the case." He said softly.

She glanced away. "You know about the case. It's in my file."

"I heard you and Russ Jo, and now I realise that, I really don't know anything about this case."

She sighed heavily and slid her fingers through her hair. "What do you want to know?"

"It might be easier to start from the beginning."

Jo met Mac's concerned gaze.

Mac saw a tear escape her eyelid. He quickly reached across the table and held her hand. "I'm not gonna force you to talk about this Jo. You've been through a lot tonight. . ."

"No I . . . I want to tell you."

He squeezed her hand. "Okay."

She took a few deep breaths. "As you know. I was working for the FBI Headquarters in Washington. It was Tuesday 6th April 2007. Seth called me that night. He said he was in trouble. I asked him what kind of trouble. He wouldn't tell me. He gave me the address. Wilmore Park. He told me to come to the old industrial site in Hollis Lane. All he said was. '_**I need your help Jo.'**_Those were his last words, before he hung up. I was worried about him, so I drove down there. I caught sight of his car at the end of the lane. It was parked outside an old derelict building. I got out of my car, walked down to the house and peaked through the front window. I saw Seth handing a brief case to a guy. There were six other guys in that room surrounding him. They were all dressed the same, they wore dark suits. . ." She let go of Mac's hand, got to her feet and started pacing around the room. "When I saw this I Immediately called for back up. When I'd finished on the phone and peered back through the window I saw . . ." She came to a sudden stop and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

"Jo. What did you see?" Mac asked anxiously.

"I saw . . . Alex Cole walk into the room dragging Seth's girlfriend, Megan Williams with him . . ."

Mac rose quickly out of the chair. "Are you talking about Alex Cole, who was once the Assistant Director of the FBI Headquaters in Washington?"

Jo turned back to Mac. "Yes."

Mac raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

Jo muttered under her breath and turned back to the window. "Yes Mac. I'm sure."

She sighed heavily and continued. "Alex tied Megan to the chair, took the suitcase from one of the guys and disappeared out of the room. While I was trying to figure out what I was going to do next, back up arrived. I was forced to wait outside whilst they charged the building. It didn't go well for Megan, She caught a bullet and. . . she died instantly." Jo turned away from Mac and swallowed hard as the painful memories swept through her mind. "They managed to take down the seven guys, but Alex Cole . . . he disappeared into thin air that night. I was the only one who fully identified him. Seth could only give them a vague description of Alex and the guys who were arrested, they all said they'd never seen Alex Cole in their life. They covered for him." Jo shook her head and glanced out of the window. "The next day they brought Alex in for questioning. He told them he'd been out with several other Agents down the bar that night. All his alibies checked out." Everyone, including Russ, said I must have made a mistake. Alex walked out of that room and became the assistant director 6 months later." God. She just wanted to slam her fist through her window. Somehow, she managed to control herself.

"Who were these guys that kidnapped Megan Jo?" Mac asked.

"Seth told the FBI that he'd got into debt." Jo shook her head . "Seth was never that good with money." She released a heavy breath and continued. "Anyway. In the interrogation room He said that Megan told him about this organisation that helped people with financial difficulties. He contacted them. They offered him a loan. It wasn't until he accepted the money that they said he had to pay it back to them with a _**very**_ high interest rate."

Mac cursed inwardly. "Loan Sharking." He glanced back at Jo. "Did Seth tell you about this at the time?"

Her eyes flashed back at Mac's. "Of course he didn't! I would have been able to stop this if he had!"

Mac kept his eyes fixed on hers for several seconds, before he spoke again. "Why are you feeling guilty?"

"What? You think that . . . I . . ." She stopped dead in her tracks and met Mac's piercing gaze. It was then that she realised he had seen right through her. He had become a little too good at that, this last year. She sighed and looked away. "I . . . was really busy at work. I hadn't been to see him for about three months. If I'd taken a couple of hours off and gone to visit him, I would have known something was up, and maybe he would have spoken to me about it. . . But I . . . wasn't there for him."

Mac released a long, exasperated breath. As hammers went, she was beating herself over the head with a whopper. He considered stopping her from going any further, but decided that as tired and upset as she was, she needed to finish the entire story, in order to realise she'd done everything she could to help Seth. It was also vital that he hear her side of the story before Russ turned up in the morning. He gave her a minute, before asking the next question. "What did Seth do when he found out these guys were loan sharks?"

Jo drew in a breath. "He refused to pay the interest, so they visited him one evening while Megan was still at work. They told him that if he didn't pay up in the next couple of days, they would take drastic measures. They didn't tell him what those drastic measures would be. Their threats just made Seth more angry and more determined to stand his ground. He didn't pay up, so . . . they kidnapped Megan." She leaned against the window ledge and glanced back at Mac. "This criminal gang were put away for Extortion, Drug Trafficking and . . . Kidnapping of course. They are serving time in New Jersey State Prison." She cursed inwardly and kicked the table next to her. "The FBI closed the case."

Mac had never seen her so riled up about a case. She was strugglng even more with this, than she was with that horrendous couple of weeks, eight months ago when that sonofabitch John Curtis decided to crawl out of the woodwork and rear his ugly head. Fear and rage slammed his chest. God. He didn't want her life to be in danger ever again. He released a long, long breath and watched her as she gazed out of the window. "Jo. How long did you know Seth?"

Slwly she gazed back at Mac. She blinked back the tears and paused for a long moment. "Since . . . I was twelve." She gazed back out of the window. "We grew up in Alabama. He was . . . my best friend."

Mac's eyes widened. My God. That wasn't on the file. He rose from his seat. "Jo. . . I'm sorry. I didn't know."

She swallowed back the emotions, forced the childhood memories from her mind and finally found some semblance of self control. It was a little easier to focus her mind on the last few years. "I've spent all my spare time, these last five years, running through the case, trying to find the truth, but Alex Cole's record was clean and of course he knew exactly how to cover his tracks." She sighed heavily. "Seth seemed to start moving on with his life, so I stopped asking questions, but I never really let this go." She turned back and fixed Mac with a determined gaze. "I know I saw Alex Cole that night."

He walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I believe you Jo."

"Thanks. That means a lot." Several seconds later, the smile had vanished from her face.

"I . . . noticed a change in Seth. He wasn't himself. . ." Her voice trailed off as the memory flashed through her mind. Another stray tear rolled down her cheek and she started to move away.

"Jo?" Mac gently gripped her shoulders and turned her back to him. "When was this?"

"About . . . three months ago."

"Around September?" Mac asked curiously.

"Yes." She pushed out a long, weary breath. "I started visiting him more frequently. He seemed nervous, on edge. He wasn't going out of the house. It was like he was barricading himself in . . ." She stopped dead in her tracks and stared fearfully back at Mac. "Oh my God. Alex Cole retired from the FBI in September!"

Mac cursed inwardly. "Yea, He did."

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_**Okay next chapter, we will meet the rest of the team and more revelations come to light about Megan's family history. **_

_**And what happens when Mac gets back to Christine. How long is he away from her? A few hours or all night? You'll find out in the next chapter lol!**_

_**Maybe you'll meet the bad guys, but that might be in chapter 3.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**HEY :)**_

_**OKAY . . . SO I HAVE HAD TO RETHINK THE STORY PLOT. THIS IS WHY CH 2 HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. ACTUALLY, THE CHAPTER COULD HAVE GONE UP LAST NIGHT BUT I GOT DISTRACTED WATCHING 'SUPERSTORM SANDY' HITTING THE STATES. I'M PRAYING FOR ALL YOU GUYS IN THE TRI STATE AREA. TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE.**_

_**THANKYOU FOR ALL YOUR KIND REVIEWS. IT MEANS SO MUCH. ;)**_

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_**CHAPTER TWO.**_

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He walked into his house and threw the keys on the counter.

"Danny?"

"Yea. It's just me." He pulled off his Jacket and chucked it on the coat peg.

Lindsay appeared in the hallway and frowned. "Back from the crime scene so soon?"

Danny released a long, pent up breath. "The FBI were there. They went and kicked us out. Said this was their case."

Lindsay noticed the anxiety flicker in his eyes and she moved quickly toward him. "What's wrong?"

He rubbed at his forehead. "Two shots were fired into that house tonight. Seth Turner the owner of the property caught a bullet. He's dead. . . " He gazed back at her. "Linds. Jo was there when it happened."

Lindsays eyes widened. "What?"

"It's okay she wasn't hurt." He brought his arms around Lindsay and gave her a hug.

She let out a relieved sigh and leaned her head on his chest. "Thank God."

It only took several seconds, before her mind was racing once again. She drew away and gazed anxiously up at him. "So, this guy was a friend of Jo's?"

"Well, Don's guessing that Seth Turner ended up smack bang in the middle of an FBI Investigation Russ and Jo were involved in several years ago. Apparently Jo was very upset tonight." Danny sighed heavily. "So yea. Don thinks Seth and Jo knew each other pretty well."

Lindsay shook her head in disbelief. "Poor Jo." She gazed back at Danny. "Are the FBI not allowing us to help them with this case at all?"

Danny cursed under his breath. "No." He met Lindsay's frustrated gaze. "I don't think Don's planning on letting this go though. I saw him and Kye in a heated discussion just before I left."

"You mean Kye Simmonds, Jo's former FBI Partner?"

Danny sighed. "Yea."

"Did you hear what they were saying?" She asked hesitantly.

"No. they were about 100 meters down the road, talking in Kye's car. Kye looked pretty pissed off."

"My God. I can't believe this." She took Danny's hand and led him toward the kitchen. "C'mon. I'll make you a hot drink." She sighed.

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_**MIDNIGHT.**_

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Don checked the time. "C'mon. . . Where are you?"

It was past midnight now and he was beginning to doubt Kye would turn up at all, but several seconds later he caught sight of the car headlights up ahead and he released a long relieved breath.

Kye drew up alongside Don's car and checked his rear mirror. He scanned the area, then grabbed his brief case and exited the vehicle.

Don watched Kye as he walked around his car and jumped in the passenger side.

Kye slammed the car door shut and fixed Don with a stern stare. "Remind me why i'm putting my job on the line for you again?"

Don met his gaze. "That's a good question."

Kye muttered under his breath and unlocked his brief case. "I've photocopied the documents. Here's the case file. We have the ballistics report. . . ." He sighed inwardly. "You might want to look over this one too."

Don took them from Kye and frowned down at the third document. "Why have you given me Alex Cole's personnel file?"

Kye glanced back out the front windscreen. "Just read the case file Don." he sighed.

Several minutes later Kye turned back to Don and found him staring down at the second page. He released a long, heavy breath and glanced back out into the darkness. "2007 was a hard year for all of us. We had some pretty tough cases. A week before Megan Williams was kidnapped, Alex Cole commanded Jo to take a couple of weeks off. He told her she was no good to him exhausted, but we were all pretty emotionally and physically drained. Earlier that week we'd taken down several members of the Gambini Mafia. She was no more exhausted then the rest of us."

"My God." Don glanced back at Kye. "You think Cole wanted her out of the way?"

Kye shook his head. "I don't know. Take a look at the next page. Cole was nowhere near Hollis Lane that night. He was at Juan Valdez Bar with several work collegues between 20:00 – 22:00 discussing an undercover op on another case."

Don muttered under his breath as he scanned the page in front of him. "He had plenty of alibies. They all checked out."

Don turned to page four and looked at the list of names. Four FBI Agents, a Sid Bryans, Matthew Osbourne, Ed Hughes and Nolan Garrett, all said that Alex Cole was with them in the bar between 20:00 – 22:00 that night. Special Agent Norman Bridger had gone down there Thursday evening and talked to several Bartenders. He'd shown them Cole's photo and they told Norman that Cole was definitely in the bar with four other guys on Tuesday night.

Kye pushed out a long, frustrated breath and shook his head. "Jo's never let it go. She's certain she saw him that night, but no trace evidence belonging to Alex Cole, was found in that house."

Don glanced across at Kye. "But you believe her."

Kye rubbed at his forehead. "Yea. I do, but what good is that when we have no proof."

Don sighed inwardly and started flicking through Cole's Personnel File.

"You wont find anything in there. Cole's record's squeaky clean."

"Why doesn't that surprise me." Don released a long, pent up breath and glanced at the ballistics report.

Kye watched Don as he started looking through it. "Seth hated the FBI after what happened that night, and he refused to cooperate with them."

Don frowned back at him. "Why?"

Kye pointed to the fourth paragraph. "The bullet from Special Agent Steven Evan's gun ended up killing Megan."

Don drew in a deep breath, let it out. "That's . . . not good."

"No." Kye scanned the parking lot and glanced back at Don. "Seth became aggressive and confrontational toward them, so the Violent Crimes Division thought he was hiding something and for six whole months they tracked his every move. On December 4th, Jo found five bugs in Seth's apartment and a tracker on his phone. She got really mad and went to see Martin Howell, the head of Violent Crimes Division. He agreed to stop the surveillance."

"Kye. How long had Jo known Seth?"

Kye sighed inwardly and glanced out the side window. "She told me she met him whilst out with a group of friends one night in 2005." He gazed back at Don. "She lied."

Don raised his eyebrows at him. "She lied?"

"Yea. I've been doing some digging around in the last couple of months. I found out that when Seth was twelve years old, he moved to Alabama with his family. He lived in the same road as Jo, they went to the same school, they hung out together." Kye muttered under his breath and rubbed at his forehead. "They were best friends."

Don's eye's widened. "My God. Why would she lie about this?"

"Because she didn't want us to know Seth's real identity?" Kye murmured.

Unease crawled across Don's spine. "What?"

"I discovered this morning, that Seth had a fake Birth Certificate." Kye released a long, heavy breath. "His surname wasn't Turner Don. It was Cole."

Don's eyes widened. "You mean. . . Seth was Alex Cole's Son?"

"Yes. I checked the DNA Records."

"Jesus Christ!" Don grabbed Cole's personnel file again and started to flick through it. He stopped dead in his tracks and swore inwardly. "Let me guess. There's nothing in Cole's file that states he has a Son."

"Nope." Kye answered.

Don closed his eyes and dragged his fingers through his hair. "This just get's better and better. . . Wait. . ." He glanced quickly back at Kye. "Russ doesn't know about this?"

"I don't think he does. He cares about Jo, but he wouldn't have let something like this go. He would have taking her in for questioning by now If he knew she'd lied." Kye sighed heavily and looked back out at the darkness. "I have to hand this information in Don."

Don's eyes widened. "No! Look just keep this to yourself for now."

Kye swore under his breath. "I can't do that."

_Crap! _Don leaned back in his seat. _God Jo. What the hell are you doing? _He suddenly felt very sick.

Kye moved on quickly. "Anyway, as I was saying, Martin Howell stopped the surveillance on Seth. The FBI found no new leads, and Cain Jackson along with the other six perps were now locked up in New Jersey State Prison, so Howell closed the case on 15th December 2007."

Don swallowed back the emotions and forced himself to focus. "Okay." He started looking through the case file. "Why did they reopen the case?"

"We were investigating the kidnapping of Laura Henderson four months ago. We found her alive in the basement of a house down 6th Avenue. A couple of days later we managed to catch up with three of the five perps who'd abducted her. One of the three perps a Xander Griffiths buckled under interrogation. He told Russ that Cain Jackson had once been part of their criminal gang and boasted that in the last five years it had grown into a huge Criminal Organisation. He wouldn't give Russ any names. He just said that someone else took over from Cain when he was put away back in 2007. Now the FBI are trying to track down this organisation down."

"My God. . ." Don's breath suddenly stalled in his throat. He swallowed hard and gazed anxiously back at Kye. "You think several guys from this criminal organisation killed Seth tonight, don't you?"

Kye hesitated, then met Don's intense gaze. "These past few months, Seth's been doing some digging around himself."

Don raised his eyebrows at him. "You've been spying on Seth?"

Kye cursed inwardly and continued. "He's been looking into his family history. I caught him down at the library last week. I . . . think he must have found something out about his past. There could be a connection here with what happened back on the night of April 6th 2007. . . Maybe, this criminal organisation found out what he was up to. . ."

"What's the connection Kye?" Don interrupted angrily.

He released a long, pent up breath and gazed anxiously back at Don. "Look. I'm worried about Jo. That's why I met you here tonight. I need you and Mac to make sure she stays away from this case." He turned away and wrenched open the car door.

Don pulled him back. "Hey! You haven't told me everything!"

He stared angrily at Don. "I've told you what you need to know and I will not be discussing this case with you again." He yanked free of Don's grip and got out of the car.

Don swore under his breath and jumped out of the driver's side. "Two shots were fired tonight! One of those bullets was meant for Jo, wasn't it?! . . . Kye?!" Don swore again as he watched Kye get in his car and drive away.

.

.

Jo paced anxiously around the apartment. _What the hell am I doing?_ She sighed heavily and collapsed back on the couch. She shouldn't have shared anything with him about this case.

She'd been so strong, carrying it alone for so many years, but she'd lost Seth tonight, she'd become an emotional wreck and the only man she'd ever really trusted, ever really loved, he was there for her. He'd believed her. Of course he'd believed her.

The smile slowly faded from her face.

At least she'd stopped herself blurting anything else out and she'd finally managed to get him to leave.

Tears filled her eyes. "I never wanted you to go Mac."

She glanced across at the clock on the wall. It was half past midnight. She swallowed back the heartache and forced herself to focus. Alex Cole's face flashed into her mind and rage slammed her chest. "It's time to end this." She forced herself to take a steady breath, then rose from the couch and went to her bedroom to start packing.

.

.

For several months Christine had been fine with the fact that Mac and Jo had a platonic friendship. It hadn't worried her at all. She could accept that Jo spent more time with him then she did. Mac's work meant a lot to him and Jo _was_ his second in command after all.

But tonight, everything had changed.

Mac had returned thirty minutes ago and had told her he'd been at Jo's place.

It was past midnight. What was he doing at Jo's place this late at night?

And then he'd started acting cagey and he definitely wasn't telling her everything.

What was she suppose to think for God sake?

She stood in the centre of the room and stared suspiciously at him. "Why won't you tell me why you were at Jo's place?"

Mac muttered under his breath. He grabbed the mug from the cupboard and nearly ended up slamming it on the kitchen counter. "I've told you already."

Christine moved quicky across the room to the breakfast bar. "You've told me you were with her discussing a case."

Mac turned back to face her. "Look, you know I can't always talk about work. And this case is. . . classified."

"Why couldn't it wait till morning."

"We had to go through some details on the case."

"At midnight?"

"Look, something bad happened tonight. She . . . needed a friend. She was upset."

Christine sighed inwardly and looked away. "Is she okay?"

Mac leaned against the breakfast bar. "She'll be fine."

Suddenly Christine smelt a light scent in the air. She leaned towards him and inhaled deeply. There it was. That perfume smell again. Jo's perfume. Her heart sunk to her stomach. "You comforted her right?"

He cursed inwardly and turned his back on her. _God I need something stronger._ He walked to the fridge to find a beer instead. "Jo was upset. Of course I comforted her." He grabbed the bottle and walked out of the kitchen. "C'mon. We'll wind down with a movie. What do you want to watch?"

"Mac. We haven't finished talking yet."

He spun around and stared exasperatedly at her. "About what exactly?"

"How deeply do you care about her?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "What?"

Christine fixed him with a steady gaze. "You heard me."

He drew in a long, unsteady breath, let it out. "She's a close friend to me. You know that."

Christine kept her eyes on his. "I thought I did."

Mac shook his head and glanced away. "I'm not talking about this tonight."

"Why? Because you're afraid to face the truth?"

Slowly he met her gaze. "I have . . . no idea what you're talking about?"

Tears stung her eyes. "Yes you do."

Suddenly, Mac's phone started to ring in his pocket.

"You better get that. Jo might need you again." She spun around and walked quickly out of the room.

Mac went after her. "Christine wait! You've got this all wrong!"

She slammed the bedroom door in his face.

"Dammit!" He muttered a curse and grabbed the phone from his pocket. "It's not Jo calling me! It's Don! . . . Christine?!" He released a long, heavy breath, headed back to the main room and brought the phone to his ear. "What the hell is it Don?!"

Don raised his eyebrows and looked down at his phone. "Uh . . . You okay?"

Mac forced himself to calm down. "Yea. I'm fine . . ." He stopped dead in his tracks and stared back down at his phone. "Did Kye turn up?"

"Yea he did." Don drew to a stop along the side walk. "He photocopied some documents." He looked down at the files on the passenger seat and sighed heavily. "Mac. This case is huge."

Mac glanced back at Christine's bedroom door. "I need to see those documents now. Where are you?"

Don glanced up at the apartment building. "I'm outside Jo's place."

Fear slammed through his chest. "Is she okay?"

Don muttered under his breath. "I . . . just wanted to check on her, that's all."

Mac grabbed his jacket from the chair. "What the hell did Kye tell you about Jo?" He came to an abrupt stop when he saw Christine leaning against the door.

"Look I just wanted to make sure . . . " Don stopped mid – sentence when he heard Christine on the other end.

"So you're off to see Jo again!" She said furiously.

Mac let out an exasperated breath. "For God sake Christine. I'm meeting Don!"

"Don't bother coming back this time!" She whirled around, walked quickly back into her room and slammed the door behind her.

Mac muttered several obscenities under his breath and pressed the phone back to his ear. "I'm on my way."

Don raised his eyebrows. "You sure everything's okay?"

Mac rolled his eyes at the phone. "Yes Don. Everything's fine." He walked out of Christine's apartment and slammed the door behind him. "I'll be with you in five minutes." He hung up and hurried out of the building to his car.

.

.

Don stared down at the phone. _Dammit._ He knew it wouldn't take long for Christine to figure it out. It was so bloody obvious they were in love with each other. The only people that didn't have a clue were Mac and Jo themselves.

Don looked back up at her apartment. All the lights were off. _She'll be asleep. I'm not gonna charge up there and wake her now, Not after what she's been through. _He sighed heavily, grabbed the case file and started flicking through it again.

Several minutes later he was distracted by the sound of a vehicle braking heavily behind him.

Mac turned off the car engine and quickly exited his vehicle. He jogged up to Don's car, wrenched open the door and jumped in the passenger seat. "Okay. What did Kye tell you?"

Don let out a long, pent up breath and started filling Mac in on everything Kye had said to him.

Several minutes later, Mac was looking as white as a sheet. Don cursed inwardly. He had left the worst bit to last. Maybe he should have got that over with at the beginning.

Mac glanced fearfully up at her apartment. "My God. She's right in the middle of this. We need to talk to Kye again."

"He adamantly refused to discuss this case any further Mac." Don glanced back at him. "Look he shared something else with me."

Mac slowly met his anxious gaze. "For God sake tell me?"

"Okay. . . Jo . . . lied to the FBI about how long she'd known Seth. She told Kye that she met him whilst out with friends in 2005."

Mac's eyes widened. "I asked her that same question earlier and she said she grew up with him in Alabama."

"Well she was telling you the truth." Don replied.

Mac swallowed hard. "My God. Why did she lie to the FBI about this?"

"Kye found out that Seth's Birth Certificate had been falsified. He had the surname 'Turner' on his Driving Licence, Social Security Card and Bank Account." Don cursed inwardly. "Kye was holding back information from me, but what he did say, was that this morning he discovered Seth's real surname was . . . Cole."

Mac stared anxiously at Don. "Are you telling me that Seth Is Alex Cole's Son?"

"According to Kye, Yes." Don stared back out the front windscreen. "He's handing this information to Russ first thing in the morning Mac."

"Ah crap." Mac's eyes flashed back at Jo's apartment building. "Wait here. I have to talk to Jo." He jumped out of Don's car and moved quickly up to the front entrance. He buzzed on the intercom and waited. There was no answer. He buzzed again. "Dammit Jo. C'mon." A moment later she still hadn't answered it. He buzzed on Bretts number.

Finally Brett answered. "Who the hell is this?"

"It's Mac."

He frowned. "Mac Taylor?"

Brett let me in now. It's urgent!"

He raised his eyebrows. "Uh . . . sure." He quickly pressed the button.

Mac pulled open the main doors and ran across the lobby. He took the stairs two at a time, finally reached Jo's floor and raced along the coridor to her apartment. He moved quickly to her door and knocked loudly several times, but she still wasn't answering. Fear and panic gripped his heart. "Jo! It's me! Let me in!" He wasn't waiting any longer. He grabbed her keys from his pocket and let himself in.

The place was quiet, too quiet. He moved quickly through the main room and noticed that her bedroom door was open. He quickened his pace toward it and bolted inside. The room was empty. Next he searched her bathroom and the guest room. There was still no sign of her.

_Office! She's got_ _to be in her Office!_ He tore back down the hallway and checked the last room. He slammed to a stop and stared wide eyed across at her desk. His heart dropped to his stomach when he noticed that not only was her I pad and Laptop missing. Her computer was gone too. "Oh God Jo. No." He raced out of her office and charged back into her bedroom. He pulled open her drawers and discovered that most of her clothes were missing. He moved to her wardrobe and pulled open the doors. So was her rucksack and case. "Jo. What are you doing?"

"I found this."

Mac whirled around and saw Don standing in the door way holding out an envelope. It was on the kitchen counter."

Mac walked quickly toward him and snatched it out of Don's hand. He tore open the envelope and pulled out the note.

.

.

_**Mac.**_

_**I have to go away. **_

_**I have to finish this once and for all and I don't think I'm going to be able to come back.**_

_**The FBI are going to know the truth soon enough and I can't be here when they find out.**_

_**I'm sorry for everything.**_

_**Please don't search for me. **_

_**I need you to move on with your life.**_

_**I need you to be happy.**_

_**P.S I love you.**_

.

.

_**LOL! HOW CAN MAC POSSIBLY MOVE ON WHEN SHE'S WRITTEN IN A NOTE THAT SHE LOVES HIM.**_

_**NEXT CHAPTER THE WHOLE CSI TEAM FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENED. **_

_**RUSS TURNS UP. WHAT'S MAC AND DON GONNA SAY. HOW ARE THEY GONNA PROTECT HER.**_

_**ANOTHER SCENE WITH MAC AND CHRISTINE.**_

_**AND WE WILL HAVE SOME ALEX COLE AND FAMILY SECRETS WILL BE REVEALED.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**HEY ;)**_

_**SO HERE'S CHAPTER THREE. I'M AWARE THAT THIS STORY IS SOUNDING FAMILIAR TO ANOTHER ONE I WROTE. I CANT REMEMBER THE NAME NOW. YES IT HAS A JO FAMILY THEME GOING BUT IT WON'T BE ANYTHING LIKE IT THAT ONE. WE HAVE ALOT OF STORY TO GO YET. :)**_

_**OH AND NEARLY FORGOT. I'M PROBABLY IMAGINING 'INWOOD HILL PARK, NYC' A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. I'M NOT SURE IT HAS A STEEP HILL OR CLIFF, RIGHT NEXT TO THE HUDSON RIVER IN REAL LIFE. IT DOES IN THIS STORY THOUGH. :)**_

_**PLEASE R&R HUGS 2 U ALL.**_

_**What happened at the end of previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

_Mac snatched the envelope out of Don's hand. He tore it open and pulled out the note._

_._

_._

_**Mac.**_

_**I have to go away.**_

_**I have to finish this once and for all and I don't think I'm going to be able to come back.**_

_**The FBI will know the truth soon enough and I can't be here when they find out.**_

_**I'm sorry for everything.**_

_**Please don't search for me.**_

_**I need you to move on with your life.**_

_**I need you to be happy.**_

_**P.S I Love You.**_

_**Jo x**_

.

.

_**CHAPTER 3.**_

Mac collapsed down on the edge of her bed and stared at the note. He sat perfectly still, but his mind was racing and his stomach was turning somersaults. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. He said nothing. Couldn't put together a thought that wasn't shrink wrapped in terror to make sense of any of this.

Don strode toward him and took the note from his hand. He stared down it, shook his head, his brows furrowing in abject bafflement. "Why is she doing this alone? My God. We've got to find her."

Mac swallowed back a wave of nausea and got quickly to his feet.

Don watched him bolt out of the bedroom. He stared back at the note.

_**P.S I Love You.**_

He blew out a long, unsteady breath and went after Mac.

.

.

Jo released the hand brake and pushed her car to the edge of the steep Cliff. She gave it one final push and watched it disappear over the side. Totally out of breath now, she moved to the edge and looked down as it plunged through the air. It hit some rocks half way down and exploded, sending shards of glass and metal flying in all directions. She swallowed hard and released a long, shaky breath. Dammit. It was suppose to go into the damn river. She whirled around and scanned the area. There was no one in sight. She took one more look over the edge of the cliff. Her car was now enveloped in a ball of flames. She tore her eyes away from the burning wreck, grabbed her rucksack and hurried away.

.

.

Don found Mac in Jo's study. He walked up to him and stared down at the large metal bin. "She's been burning stuff."

Mac sighed inwardly. "She did a good job. This was a lot of paperwork. Now it's a pile of ash."

Don pulled on a latex glove and fished around inside. He lifted out a partially burnt card. "Not quite."

Mac took it from his hand. "I can't read this."

Don looked closer at the faded emblem at the top left hand side of the card. "I recognise that sign."

Mac's eyes widened. "That's . . ."

Don's eyes flashed back at him. "Layton's. The Car Sales Company at Inwood."

Mac muttered a curse and straightened up. "I'll take care of this." He moved past him.

Don gripped his arm. "Oh no you don't Mac."

He spun around and fixed Don with a stern glare. "Stay out of this."

"You think I'm just going to let you go off on your own after everything that's happened tonight?"

Mac yanked his arm free. "I'm not planning on giving this information to the FBI. Not yet anyway."

"Good. I was thinking along the same lines."

Mac shook his head at him in disbelief. "Have you forgotten how much trouble you could get into for with holding evidence?" He could see the stubborn determination on Don's face. He wasn't going to back down.

Don stared at him for a long moment. "I haven't forgotten Mac. Let's go."

Mac watched him dash out of the room. _Dammit Don! _He took a final look around her office, then jogged out after him.

.

.

Alex Cole stared down at the monitor and swore loudly. He turned angrily to Nolan, grabbed the front of his Jacket and slammed him up against the wall. "Where is she?!"

"I . . . don't know! One minute the signal . . . was there, the next it was gone!"

Alex muttered under his breath and released him. His eyes flashed back at the monitor. "Whereabouts on the map did the signal disappear?"

Nolan took a deep, unsteady breath. He hadn't been watching the damn screen. He'd been playing Online Poker. "Inwood."

Alex rolled his eyes and glared back at him. "Where in Inwood?!"

_Shit! _"I'm . . . not sure. I think it was Seaman Avenue."

In a mercurial fit of rage, Alex grabbed his glass from the desk and threw it across the room.

Nolan ducked, his eyes wide as the glass shattered behind him.

Alex glared across at him. "Get down there. Take Ed and Carlton with you, and find her. You'll regret it if you mess up this time." He poured himself another drink and started pacing around the room. "She's been digging around again these last few months, just like Seth did. I've had enough of keeping tabs on her all these years."

Nolan cursed inwardly, as he pulled a shard of glass from his hair. "You . . .want us to kill her?"

He spun around and stared sternly at him."No!"

Nolan frowned. "But you wanted her dead . . ."

"You're to bring her back here alive! Got it?!" He interrupted furiously. "If there's evidence out there that's gonna incriminate me, I need to find it." He turned and stared out of the window. "I need to know what she knows." A vicious grin spread across his face. "I'll deal with Jo myself."

.

.

Mac and Don hadn't found anything else at Jo's apartment so they'd jumped in Mac's car and tore off to Inwood at brake neck speed.

Less then ten minutes later, Mac's car shrieked to a stop outside Layton's. He glanced quickly across at the vehicles lined up on the tarmac and inhaled sharply. "There's a car missing."

Don stared wide eyed at Mac. "What did you just say?"

Mac scrambled out of his vehicle and jogged across the road to the building.

Don came to an abrupt stop beside him and looked at the ground. "There's burnt rubber markings here."

They moved quickly up to the main entrance and Mac pulled a pen knife from his pocket.

Don raised his eye brows. "What are you doing?"

"Breaking in." Mac murmured.

Don's eyes widened. "Are you crazy?"

Mac released a long, pent up breath. "Do you want to find Jo or not."

"Crap." Don turned around and scanned the area. "She stole a car?"

Mac swore inwardly and glanced around the front of the building. "We don't know that for sure."

Don turned back and glanced down the street. "Hurry up and get us in there."

Mac located the fuse box, got it open and several minutes later he'd managed to disable the alarm system.

Don scanned the perimeter once again and followed Mac inside. They crossed the Show Room, moved quickly to the front desk and checked the computers.

Mac sighed heavily as he glanced across at the monitor. "According to this, there should be a Black Ferrari, number plate VIT 458 sitting out there."

"Jesus Christ. She . . ." He stopped mid-sentence, paused and frowned back at Mac "Wait a minute. This is Jo. She wouldn't steal a car."

"No She wouldn't." Mac turned the screen to Don. "She brought it."

Don's eyes widened as he glanced down at the computer screen.

"An hour ago $160,000 was paid into Layton's bank account." Mac looked back at the other monitor. That's the exact price of the car."

"Bloody hell. You're saying she took that much money out of her account?"

"It's an untraceable money transfer." Mac shook his head at the screen. "How the hell did she manage this?"

Don glanced nervously back to the front entrance. "Look. She may have had a card advertising this place, but there's no real evidence, Jo had anything to do with this Mac."

"I know she did this." Mac gazed back at the monitor. "I just know."

"Well we can't stick around and look for evidence. We have to get out of here."

Mac swore under his breath and quickly shut down the computers. "Let's go."

.

.

They left the building and quickly got back into Mac's car. Mac pulled off the latex gloves and placed them carefully in a seal-able bag. Then he started the engine and accelerated back up the road.

Don's phone started ringing in his pocket. He took it out and checked caller ID. "It's Gary Winters." He slowly met Mac's anxious gaze and pressed down on loud speaker. "Hey. What's up?"

Gary glanced around the Police Department and moved back to his desk. "Don, a Samuel Kenton phoned the station a few minutes ago. He was out walking his dog at Inwood Hill Park and noticed a burnt out car lying half way down that large rocky incline at the end of Calham Street. Apparently he went down there and had a look. He said It was a dark red Mustang with New York Plates. He could make out the numbers 263 on the license plate."

Don's throat constricted to the size of a very thin straw.

Mac slammed his foot on the brake pedal. _Oh God. No._ Suddenly feeling light headed and a little off balance, he gave himself a few seconds to steady himself. Then he slammed his foot back on the gas pedal, skidded the car around and floored it back up W 218th.

"I'm . . . in the area, so I'll check it out." Don hung up and glanced quickly back at Mac. "It's Okay . . . She's just tried to get rid of her car. She's covering her tracks remember?"

Mac's eyes flashed back at Don. "Two shots were fired in Seth's house tonight. What if these bastards were aiming for Jo as well?! You said it yourself. She's not safe right now."

Don swallowed into a dry throat. "Go faster!"

"I'm going as fast as I can dammit!" Mac skidded onto Seaman Avenue and sped up the road. Several minutes later, he turned a sharp right into Calham Street and slammed down on the brakes. "I can smell smoke."

They charged out of the car and ran to the edge of the small cliff face.

Don looked over the side and saw the raging flames

Mac cursed inwardly and climbed over the edge.

Don's eyes widened. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"She could be lying down there hurt or . . ." He blinked back the moisture from his eyes and forced out a steady breath. "This way's quicker than the foot path."

"Yea . . . Okay." Don released a long, pent up breath and followed him down.

.

.

Jo had tried to think of other things as she drove, but the rage and grief continued to slam through her heart. She swallowed into an aching throat and tried to focus on the case instead, but it was becoming harder to keep her emotions in check.

She'd crossed Harlem River and stuck to the minor roads. She'd driven through the towns of Mt Eden, Claremont and Foxhurst and had finally got to the Bronx River Parkway. Half an hour later she'd turned into Metcalf Avenue. She'd slowed her speed slightly when she'd reached the end of the road and turned right up a secluded side street. A few minutes later, she'd brought the car to a stop and glanced across at the house. It was partially hidden by half a dozen tall trees and stood at the edge of a quiet Park. Not a bad place to hide away. It was secluded enough.

The property had only stood empty for about three weeks. Clare Adams, the owner, had just travelled abroad to work in New Zealand for a year. Jo had met Clare eighteen months ago at a Work Conference and they'd been friends ever since. Clare didn't want to sell the house, so she'd asked Jo to keep an eye on the place while she was gone. She'd handed Jo the house keys and told her she could use the house any time she wanted. Jo hoped she wouldn't mind her actually moving in here for a while. Jo was just relieved she hadn't got around to telling Mac, or anyone else about this place.

She sighed heavily, got out of her car and walked across the small field to the edge of Bronx River. She stood there for a long time, looking out at Mid town Manhattan in the distance. "God I miss you already." She released a long, shaky breath, turned away and wandered back to the house.

It took a little longer to move the two computers, her laptop, rucksack, suit case and several bags of grocery shopping, into the house, but finally she got inside and slammed the front door shut behind her. She turned to lock it and cursed inwardly.

_I need better locks on these doors, and an alarm system like . . . Seth's. . ._

She froze to the spot as her mind suddenly flashed back to several hours ago.

_She felt his hand on her arm again._

"_Jo . . ." _

"_Seth. You need to stay still."_

"_I have to . . . tell you why I followed you . . . here to New York."_

"_You can tell me when you're better . . ."_

"_Jo . . . I needed . . . to protect you. . . You're my . . .half sister . . ."_

She couldn't hold it in any longer. She buried her head in her hands and sunk to the floor. Tears filled her eyes and the silence was broken as her sobs echoed through the house.

.

.

Mac and Don had finally made it down the steep incline. The flames had died down so they were able to get close enough to look inside the car. Mac moved away from the burnt out wreckage and forced himself to take some steady breaths. "She's not in the car."

Don caught sight of the licence plate and swallowed into a dry throat. "Well this is definitely Jo's vehicle."

Mac moved quickly towards him and stared across at the plate number. It was charred and black from the smoke, but he could easily make it out. Fear and panic slammed his chest. "Jo!" He pushed to his feet and stumbled around the twisted metal and debris trying to find her. "Jo! Can you hear me?!" He moved away from the car, hurried to the next steep drop and looked over the edge.

Don jogged up to him and looked back at her car. "She wouldn't have fallen in the river Mac. The car didn't drop or roll far enough."

Mac forced himself to calm down. "Yea. . . I know that." God. His throat felt drier than the badlands.

They searched for another five minutes.

Don came to a stop and shone his flashlight around the area another time. "Mac. She's not here. She's dumped her car over the edge of this Cliff and taken off in that black Ferrari."

Mac muttered a curse and glanced around. "I just want to find her Don."

Don walked towards him and gazed out at the river. "We're _gonna_ find her. C'mon. We've got to get out of here, before the FBI turn up."

.

.

_Okay Jo. Calm down and breathe. Seth was . . . He was just confused. _She picked herself up off the floor and stared down at the tech equipment. _I've got to find the box._

She turned on the lights and hauled the equipment down the hallway. There was a large room at the back of the house. It was the perfect place for a computer room. Half an hour later she'd moved everything inside and got the two computers up and running. She collapsed into the chair and released a long, weary breath. God. She felt so exhausted. She looked down at her watch. It was 04:00. Several minutes passed, before she became aware that she was drifting off to sleep. She blinked twice and quickly sat up in the chair. There was no time to sleep. She had to locate this box. She forced herself out of the chair, went to find the groceries, then carried them to the kitchen. She filled the kettle and slammed it down on the kitchen counter.

Suddenly the painful memory surfaced once again.

_Tears swam in her eyes. She knew he wasn't going to make it. A sob escaped her. "I need you Seth. I can't find this box on my own."_

_Seth slowly closed his eye's._

"_No, Seth. Look at me. . ."_

"_Cain . . . Jackson. . . ." _

_._

_._

Shakily she leaned on the kitchen counter and released a long, shuddering breath. She blinked back the tears, steadied herself. Those two words had been his last. _Cain Jackson._ She forced herself to focus. She grabbed a mug from the cupboard, poured herself a black coffee and hurried back to the study.

.

.

Nolan drew the car up at the edge of the road and turned off the engine. "See anything?"

Ed turned and scanned the perimeter. "No. But I can smell something."

"It's burnt rubber." Carlton replied.

They exited the vehicle and glanced around.

Carlton turned around and pointed. "This way."

They jogged down Calham street and glanced over the edge of the cliff face.

Nolan yanked his night vision googles out of his pocket and peered through them. "There's a burnt out car down there."

Ed grabbed the goggles off Nolan and took a look. "You think that car belongs to Jo Danville."

"Well it would explain why the tracker stopped working." Carlton heard several vehicles up ahead. "Okay stay cool. There's several FBI Van's coming this way."

Nolan swore loudly and turned around. "How the hell are we going to be able to search for her now."

Russ swallowed back the lump in his throat and forced out several steady breaths, not an easy thing to do when his heart was jack hammering like a freight train in his chest. He floored it to the end of the road and skidded the van to a stop. He jumped out the van with Ben and Reece and they ran to the edge of the cliff. "Jo!" Russ shouted anxiously as he stared down into the darkness. Suddenly, out of the corner of his vision, he caught sight of a vehicle parked at the edge of the road. Then he noticed Ed, Nolan and Carlton standing to his left. He moved quickly toward them. "Have you seen her?"

Nolan turned around. "No. We've just got here."

Russ cursed inwardly and turned to Ben.

"We'll get down there and take a look around!" Ben turned to the rest of the team. "Get the night vision, and we need the ropes."

Russ whirled back around and snatched the goggles from Ed. He peered back down the cliff and saw the burnt out wreckage. It was now a smouldering heap of metal. He swallowed back the fear and forced himself to stay focused. "What are you three doing here? You're not involved in this case."

"We were on our way back from Yonkers. We heard what happened on the radio and decided to take a look." Nolan replied.

Russ sighed inwardly. That was true. Several dozen agents had been up there for a couple of weeks helping with the surveillance on an Undercover Op. He turned back to them. "Well Martin Howell doesn't want you anywhere near this remember?"

Ed raised his hands in mock surrender. "We're outta her."

Nolan kept his gaze steady on Russ. "Call us when you find her."

Russ glanced back at him.

Carlton cut in quickly. "We heard about what happened at Upper West Side. We're concerned."

Russ tore his gaze from Nolan and looked across at Carlton. "Sure. I'll let you know how we're getting on."

Carlton plastered on a grin. "Good. We'll let you get on."

Russ glanced back at the team. Mike and Ben were now abseiling down the rock face. "Yea. See ya later."

Nolan watched Russ jog back to the others. He cursed under his breath. "C'mon. We've gotta get out of here."

They walked back across the road, got in the car and sped away.

.

.

_**The next day.**_

.

Mac walked wearily into the elevator and pressed the button.

He and Don had got absolutely no sleep. They'd gone back to Mac's apartment and looked through the three documents Kye Simmonds had given Don. Mac however, spent more time studying the more personal information.

According to Alex's file he'd left Alabama when he was seventeen and had gone to study Criminology and Law in Washington. He'd trained at the FBI Academy when he was 23 years old and was working as an agent in the field by 25.

He'd moved up the ranks quickly, cracked every case he'd worked and scoring top marks for Undercover Ops. Through the years he'd become the head of the Cyber Crimes and Counter Terrorist Divisions and had finally accepted the position of Assistant Director on 14/05/2000. After two years as Assistant Director, he'd announced his retirement and left the FBI September 2012 and several weeks after that he'd moved out and put his house up for sale.

Then he'd suddenly disappeared off the radar.

There didn't have to be a sinister motive in this. Hypothetically speaking, someone in Alex's position may have moved abroad to a quiet Island because they'd wanted to live out the rest of their life in peace. Is this what Alex had done? Moved far away, _hidden away_, just in case the FBI discovered he had indeed been a corrupt Agent. Maybe not. Alex would have covered this up so well, it may not have concerned him.

Which meant he was out there somewhere still carrying on with his criminal activities.

Next Mac had checked Jo and Seth's family history.

Jo had grown up with her parents in Richmond Street. She'd left Alabama when she was eighteen and studied at college in Philadelphia, before moving to Washington and training at the FBI Academy when she was 23. She'd started work at the FBI Head Quarters at 26 years of age and Washington was where she'd stayed before moving here to Manhattan in 2009.

As for Seth, Mac could find nothing on his family history. All he'd managed to dig up, was the copy of Seth's fake birth certificate. Seth's D.O.B was dated 14/03/1958. According to this data, Seth was three years younger than Jo. This had totally confused Mac. Don said he didn't understand that either.

Jo had told Mac, she'd known Seth since she was twelve. Kye told Don that Seth had moved into the same road as her when he was twelve. Maybe she'd met Seth before he'd moved to Alabama?

Mac thought he was getting no where, then suddenly he'd found a pattern.

When Seth was seventeen he'd moved to the same town in Philadelphia as Jo. He lived just several blocks from her. Next Mac discovered that Seth moved to Washington in 1984. That was the same year Jo started her training at the Academy there. Then three months after she'd come to Manhattan and started her job at the CSI Department, Seth moved to W88th street. He'd been following her. Why?

Mac was torn from his thoughts by the sound of the elevator doors sliding open. He looked up and found Lindsay gazing anxiously at him from the corridor.

She walked quickly toward him as he stepped out of the elevator. "Are you . . . okay." He was dressed in the same clothes as yesterday and his suit was absolutely filthy.

"I'm . . . fine." He replied, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

She continued to stare up at him for several seconds. He started to walk passed her. "Mac." She stepped back and blocked his path. "Where's Jo?"

Mac drew In a breath, let it out. "She's taking the day off."

"I heard about last night. Danny said that Jo's friend Seth . ." She stopped mid – sentence when she saw his expression change.

_Ah crap!_ Mac watched Russ as he walked quickly towards him. He tore his eyes from him and met Lindsay's concerned gaze. "Jo's gonna be fine. She just needs some time off. . A couple of days maybe . . ."

Russ moved around Lindsay. "We need to talk." He interrupted abruptly.

.

.

Danny nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard the doors to the lab come flying open. "Lindsay?" He moved around the work surface and walked quickly toward her. "What's wrong?" He gazed down the corridor and notice Russ following Mac into his office. "Crap! This is about what happened last night."

"I've never seen Mac so . . . on edge." She gazed anxiously up at Danny. "We have to find out what's going?"

.

.

Mac shut his office door and glanced back at Russ. "Can I help you?"

"Cut the crap Mac. Your car was at Calham Street early this morning. You did a pretty good Job trying to cover it up."

Mac's gaze remained steady on his. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"And you cut yourself" Russ pulled out the DNA Results from his pocket. "Your blood, found a few feet from Jo's burnt out car. "

_Dammit!_ "Okay fine! Gary got the call! He phoned Don and we went down there to check it out!" He turned away and released a long, pent up breath.

Russ glanced at the deep gash across Mac's hand. He sighed inwardly and collapsed down on one of the chairs. "You should go to the hospital. You may need some stitches."

"Russ. It's nothing." Slowly Mac turned back to him. "Did you . . . find anything?"

He gazed back at him for several seconds. "No. Where is she Mac?"

Mac took a deep unsteady breath. "I don't know."

Russ's gaze remained steady on his. "Kye's gone missing."

Mac's eyes flashed back at his. "Kye . . . Simmonds?"

"Yes. The FBI arrived at his place around 05:00 after neighbors reported hearing a disturbance. There was a struggle. It looks like he was taken."

.

.

_**OKAY. . . SO WE DIDN'T GET THE MAC / CHRISTINE SCENE IN THIS CHAPTER AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN SHELDON OR ADAM YET, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY GET THAT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. SORRY. I DIDN'T REALISE THIS NEXT PART OF THE STORY WOULD TAKE SO LONG TO WRITE. LOL.**_

_**ALSO. . . WILL MAC SHOW RUSS THE NOTE JO WROTE TO HIM? ;) **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**HEY :)**_

_**HOPE EVERYONE IS FINE. **_

_**IT'S GETTTING FRIGGING COLD HERE IN THE UK NOW. **_

_**GOD. I HATE THE WINTER.**_

_**ANY WAY, HERE WE ARE WITH ANOTHER CHAPTER. **_

_**PLEASE R&R . . . PRETTY PLEASE ;D**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

"_Where is she?"_

_Mac sighed heavily."I don't know."_

_Russ gaze remained steady on this. "Kye's gone missing?"_

_Mac came to an abrupt stop. "Kye Simmonds?"_

"_Yes. The FBI arrived at his place around 05:00, after neighbors reported hearing a disturbance. There was a struggle. He was taken."_

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 4.**_

.

.

_Ah crap! _Mac turned away and started pacing around his office. "That's . . . not good."

Russ sighed inwardly and rubbed at his forehead. "Mac we're all on the same side here. . ."

Mac whirled around and stared angrily back at him. "Do you really think that?!"

Russ frowned. "What are you talking about?"

He shook his head in exasperation. "For God sake Russ. Several Agent covered for Alex Cole back in 2007."

He rose slowly out of the chair. "What the hell are you doing digging around in this case?"

Mac ignored his question and continued. "Do you really think Jo would make a mistake like this? She would never have insisted she'd seen him, unless she was a hundred percent sure. Alex Cole _was_ in Hollis Lane that night Russ!"

Russ swore inwardly. "Mac. Alex Cole's got nothing to do with this case. He was at Juan Valdez Bar. Even several of the staff that worked there saw him."

"Well that means they covered for him too."

Russ shook his head at him. "Jo talked to you about this last night didn't she? You gonna tell me what she's up to?"

Pure, focused Anger tore through him. He moved quickly toward Russ and slammed his palms down on the desk. "Do you really think I would let her do something so stupid?!"

Anxiety tightened his ribcage. "What the hell has she done?"

"Russ wake up! Alex Cole's got everything to do with this case. The only person in the FBI who believed her was Kye Simmond's and where is _he_ now." Mac forced himself to take a steady breath. "She's gone off on her own . . ." He stopped himself at the last second. He swore under his breath and glanced away.

_Dammit!_ Russ closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall._ My God._ _Could Alex Cole really have been a_ _crooked Agent?_ He looked back at Mac. "Okay. I know you wouldn't let her run off like this, but I've been in the FBI long enough to know when someone's holding out on me Mac."

Mac ignored him and started pacing once again.

"Okay look. I'll . . . keep this conversation between us. You have my word."

Mac slowed to a stop and slowly turned back to face him.

He knew Russ had been a right idiot overlooking Alex Cole on this case, but he also knew that he was no corrupt Agent. Russ cared about Jo a great deal. He would do everything he could to find her. He released a long, resigned breath. "Okay. . . This is what I know. Before you and I turned up at Seth's apartment last night, Jo told Don she was . . . looking for a missing box."

Russ moved away from the wall. "There was a box missing from the cabinet."

Mac continued. "Don met up with Kye around midnight down at Mallards Industrial Estate. Kye said he'd found out that Alex Cole was Seth's father."

Russ's eyes widened. "What?"

"Kye didn't have the DNA evidence on him when he met Don. He was gonna hand it to you when he came into work this morning." Mac sighed inwardly. "I'm guessing you haven't found it at his place."

Russ muttered a curse. "No. . . we haven't."

_And now for the fun part._ Mac got ready for Russ's fist and pulled the letter, now in the small seal – able bag, from his pocket. "And . . . Jo left me this."

Russ snatched the letter from his hand and started to read it. _Dammit. She really did take off. What have I done? . . ._ He stopped mid – thought and stared down at the note. _P.S. I love_ _you?_

Russ's surprised expression was suddenly replaced a split second later, by a steely glare.

Mac cleared his throat and moved on quickly. "And I guess you've already found out she took off in a black Ferrari."

"Number plate VIT 458. We've got it . . . How much do you care about Jo?"

Mac stood dead still and fixed Russ with a stern glare. "That's got nothing to do with you. This is between me and her."

Russ moved quickly across the room toward him, His eyes intense with emotion. "I already _know_ how you feel about her Mac. When we find her, a word of advice. . ." He released a long, unsteady breath and forced his feelings back down. "Be honest with her too."

It took everything in Mac not to show the surprised shock that pummeled through him.

Russ leaned closer. "Oh and another thing. Just between you and me. If you hurt her, I'll kill you." He moved around Mac and started for the door.

.

.

Adam's eyes widened. "Ah crap!" He stepped back from the door, whirled around and legged it up the corridor.

.

.

"Stay away from this case Mac." He sighed inwardly. Who was he kidding? Russ stopped at the door. "Just . . . be careful." He brought out a small card from his pocket. "If anything comes up, you need to contact me . . . so call on this number."

Mac stared across at him for several seconds, before taking it from his hand. He looked down at the card. Russ hadn't given him his work number. This was his personal phone, his way of saying, any information would stay between the two of them. He glanced back at Russ. "Okay."

Russ turned back, walked out of Mac's office and disappeared into the Elevator.

Mac closed his eyes and pushed out a long breath._ I need to call Don._ Quickly he grabbed his phone and pressed speed dial.

.

.

On the way up the corridor Adam had suddenly been grabbed and pulled into the tech lab. "What the . . ." He spun around and Immediately came face to face with Danny and Lindsay. "Gezuz you guys. . ."

"What did you hear?" Danny interrupted quickly.

Adam took a few seconds to compose himself.

Suddenly his eyes flashed back at Danny. "Wait. You were at the Crime Scene last night. What the hell happened?"

Lindsay sighed heavily and glanced up at Danny.

Danny muttered under his breath and moved away from the door. "Jo was round the victims house. His name was Seth Turner. He was shot dead. That's all I know."

"It's okay. She's fine." Lindsay added. "She's taking some time off."

Adam glanced nervously back at Lindsay. "No she isn't. She's gone missing."

Danny's eyes widened. "What did you just say?"

He took an unsteady breath. "I heard Mac tell Russ she'd taken off in a black Ferrari. . . I need a pen and paper."

Danny forced back the emotions, and quickly grabbed a scrap of paper from his pocket and a pen from the filing cabinet. "Here."

Adam snatched them off him and started scribbling down everything he'd heard. "Number plates of the Ferrari, VIT 458. Mac was angry with Russ. He said the only person in the FBI to believe her was Kye. . ." He stopped writing and glanced back at Danny and Lindsay. "Dammit. What was his surname." He muttered.

Nausea swirled in Danny's stomach. "Not Simmonds?"

"That's it. Simmonds. . . Kye Simmonds." Adam quickly scribbled the name down.

Lindsay gazed anxiously at Danny. "Isn't Kye Simmonds Jo's former FBI Partner?"

He muttered a curse and started pacing. "Yea."

"Apparently Don met up with him last night."

Danny came to an abrupt stop and turned back to Adam.

"He said that Alex Cole had everything to do with this case."

Danny frowned. "We're not talking about FBI's Assistant Director who retired three months ago, are we?"

"I don't know," Adam answered. "but Kye had some DNA Evidence that he was gonna hand in this morning. Apparently, he'd found out that Alex Cole was Seth's father."

"We need to talk to Kye." Lindsay replied urgently.

Adam sighed heavily. "You're gonna have to find him first. Kye's gone missing too."

Danny's eyes widened. "You're kidding me?"

"I wish I was. He was taken from his apartment at 05:00 this morning. Russ said there was a struggle."

Lindsay leaned back against Adam's desk. "My God." She whispered.

Adam glanced back at his notes. "I haven't got a good feeling about this."

"Me neither." Danny grabbed the scrap of paper from his hand. "Let's run these names through the database. See what we can find out."

The three of them dashed around the desk to the computers and started the search.

.

.

Mac pressed the phone closer to his ear. "Don. I didn't give this information to the FBI. I gave it to Russ."

" . . . . . . "

Mac sighed inwardly. "You know we can't take down a whole criminal organisation on our own."

" . . . . . . "

"Okay yea, Russ might act like a jack ass at times, but he's not gonna risk Jo's safety. You know that. He's desperate to find her as much as we are. We have to trust him."

" . . . . . . "

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. . . Look are you sure you didn't notice anyone lurking around down that Industrial Estate last night?"

" . . . . . . "

Mac muttered under his breath. "Did you not hear what I just said? Kye's missing. Of course i'm concerned. Just watch your back."

" . . . . . . "

"Yea. I'll call you back." Mac hung up and released a long, pent up breath. He checked his phone and found another text message from Christine.

_**I'm coming round your place tonight when I've finished work. **_

_**We have to talk.**_

_**Christine.**_

_Dammit. What am I gonna say to her? Try the truth you Idiot. _Mac muttered a curse and slid his phone back in his pocket.

He glanced across at his desk. He couldn't just sit in his damn office. He had to do something. For all he knew Jo could be in danger right now. The very thought sent a wave of fear slamming through him. He had to get out of here and look for her, but where was he suppose to start searching?

Inwood was crawling with the FBI Crime Scene Unit. He knew there was no way he was gonna get passed them. However, about an hour ago Detective Gary Winters did mention that the other team had finished collecting evidence from Seth's apartment.

Mac stood there for several more seconds. He drew in a breath let it out. _Okay. Well I guess I'm_ _going to W88th._ He grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and headed out of his office to find Danny.

.

.

Adam frowned at the screen. "There's nothing in Alex Cole's file about a son. According to this he has no children. He hasn't even been married."

Danny turned back to Adam and Lindsay. "C'mon guys. We're looking at the wrong Alex Cole here. Check the database for Seth Turner."

Adam typed in Seth's name and hit the button. He frowned. "Nothing's coming up on Seth Turner."

Mac was walking past the tech lab, when he caught sight of Adam, Lindsay and Dannu hunched over the computer. He slammed to a stop and opened the door. "What's going on?"

_Crap!_ Adam hit the button and cleared the screen.

Danny and Lindsay straightened quickly and whirled around.

Lindsay plastered on a smile. "Hey. We were. . . just checking Adam's report on the Radcliffe Case."

Adam muttered under his breath. _Nice one Lindsay._

For a long, drawn out moment, Mac's piercing gaze was on all three of them. Finally, he shifted his eyes back at Adam. "Good. I'll take the report now."

"Uh. . . It's not quite finished yet."

Mac held Adam's gaze for a few more seconds. "I want it on my desk by 14:00."

Adam cursed inwardly and faked a smile. "Sure. No problem."

Mac turned back to Danny. "I need to deliver a Case File to the D.A's Office and take care of . . . a few things. I'll be back after lunch."

"Okay. . . We'll see you later."

Mac stared across the room at Danny. "Get on with some work." He glanced back at Lindsay. "Both of you." He stepped out of the room and walked quickly back down the corridor.

Danny moved to the door and watched him disappear into the elevator. "He seem's to be in a hurry."

Adam jumped out of his seat. "Lindsay. I haven't even started writing up that report yet."

Lindsay quickly turned back to him. "You haven't?"

"No. How am I suppose to get it finished by 14:00?"

"You'll get it done. No worries. You've still got four and a half hours to go."

"But, What about Jo?" Adam replied anxiously.

"Danny moved back to his desk. "Jo's gonna be fine Adam. Lindsay and I will go next door and continue searching."

He watched Danny and Lindsay disappear out of the tech lab. He sunk back in his seat. "Okay." He brought the Radcliffe case up on the screen.

He paused and gazed at the monitor in front of him.

He let out a long, unsteady breath. "Screw that."

He closed the window and got Alex Cole's file back on the screen.

.

.

Alex walked back through the house with his coffee and entered the computer room. He swore loudly, when he saw Nolan leaning back in his chair snoring his head off. He strode up to him and kicked his feet off the desk. "What are you doing sleeping, You moron?"

Nolan sat bolt up right and glanced around slightly disoriented. "I must have dropped off."

Alex rolled his eyes and slammed the mug in front of him. "Drink the damn coffee. It'll wake you up." He stared down at the monitor and muttered another curse. "It's not like we've got much to watch anyway. Her damn trackers gone." he muttered angrily.

.

.

Jo had spent hours trying to find a way in. She'd tried this countless times in the last few years, but Alex Cole's security systems had always blocked access to his private files.

She released a long, weary breath, leaned across the desk and connected the Port Scanner. "Let's try this again." She sighed.

Several minutes later, her computer beeped loudly. She sat up in the chair and stared back at the monitor. "My God. I've found an Open Port?" She couldn't believe what she was seeing. He'd installed a Third Party Programme which had brought about exploits in the software. This had caused the Security System to become unstable. Quickly, she started up the Sniffer device.

.

.

Nolan's eye's widened. Slowly he leaned forward in his chair "Uh, Alex? What's going on with your computers?"

Alex turned and froze to the spot. "Shit! Someone's trying to access the files!"

.

.

"After only a few seconds, the device had retreived several data packets. Jo brought them up on the screen and found the password. "Bingo."

.

.

Alex dashed across the room to the three computer. "Our Security System's been compromised! . . . They've accessed the encryption data!" Alex's eye's widened. "F~#k! They're accessing data from my private files!"

"Shit!" Nolan's fingers flew across the keyboard. "I'm tracing the program."

"There's no time for that!" He pushed Nolan out of the way and shut the computers down.

.

.

She'd only been able to get access to a few files before he'd locked her out, but when she got the data up on the monitor, she was relieved to find that not only had she managed to get a load of private messages from Alex's Email Account. She'd also retreived some information on Cain Jackson. She brought the information up on the monitor and scanned the file.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the second paragraph.

Cain Jackson had worked at the Modern Art Museum in 14 Constitution Avenue as an unpaid volunteer, between the 21st March to the 4th April 2007.

Jo's eyes widened. _My God. That's where Megan worked._

She quickly brought up the next page and came across a message that had been sent to Alex Cole on 13th April 2007. That was a week after Megan was killed.

_**We broke in last night and searched the warehouse where Cain said he hid it. We even went over to the Museum and looked around but the box was definitely missing. **_

_**We headed back to the Museum this morning. Apparently, several members of staff said they saw Megan Williams handing a box to a guy called Colin Smith.**_

_**We can't locate him. **_

_**We'll do some more digging and update later.**_

_**Nolan Garrett.**_

"Colin? . . ." She rose quickly out of the chair and stepped back sending it crashing to the floor. Fresh tears swam in her eyes. "Why . . . did you do this?"

.

.

Mac drew his car to a stop and glanced up the road. Several FBI Vans were still surrounding Seth's property. He cursed under his breath and leaned back in his seat. _Maybe I can get_ _closer without being spotted? _

He was torn from his thoughts by the passenger door being wrenched open. _Crap!_ He turned around half expecting to see an FBI Agent staring angrily down at him. Instead, a man dressed in a pair of scruffy jeans and an old leather Jacket jumped in the passenger seat and slammed the car door shut.

Mac quickly reached for his weapon.

The guy raised his hands. "Don't . . . shoot me. You're Mac Taylor right?"

Mac kept his hand steady on his weapon and continued to stare sternly across at him. "Who the hell are you?"

He breathed in a breath for courage. "I'm . . . Colin Smith."

"And what are you doing getting in my car, Colin Smith?" Mac answered, his voice low, measured.

"I . . . need to know if Jo's okay?" He asked anxiously.

Slowly Mac moved his hand away from his gun. "How do you know Jo?"

"I . . . knew Seth. He was a good friend and he introduced me to Jo. Now please, just tell me! Did she . . . get shot?"

Mac immediately noticed the fear and panic in Colin's eyes. "No. She didn't."

"Thank God." Colin took a deep breath and glanced back up the road. The guilt and grief slammed through his heart once again. "Seth's dead, isn't he?"

"Yea. . . He is."

Colin nodded numbly and dropped his head.

"Okay. . .Now you need to tell me everything you know about Seth Turner. Then I'm gonna drive you to the FBI Division . . ."

Colin's eyes flashed back at Mac's. "I'm not giving the FBI _any_ information!" He interrupted angrily.

Mac was slightly taken aback by his sudden outburst. He drew in a breath, let it out. "Colin. The FBI are investigating Seth's death. You can help them get the guys who did this." Mac noticed the shocked expression on his face. He frowned deeply. "Colin what's wrong?"

"Jo told me I could trust you!"

Mac stopped dead in his tracks and stared back at him. "She gave you my name?"

"Mac!"

He glanced back out the front windscreen and cursed inwardly. Dammit. He'd been spotted.

FBI Agent Will Douglas stared angrily up the road at Mac's car. "For God sake Mac. You're not suppose to be anywhere near this Crime Scene!" He called out.

"Crap!" Fear slammed through Colin's chest. Quickly, he reached for the door handle.

Mac grabbed his arm. "Jo was right. You can trust me. Now get down."

He froze and stared back at him.

Mac raised his voice. "Do it!" Colin swallowed hard and ducked.

Mac glanced back at the road and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal.

"Hey! Get back here!" Will pushed away from the side walk and sprinted up the road after Mac.

Mac skidded the car around and floored it back up the street. He glanced back at the rear view mirror and pushed out a long, deep breath. "Okay we're clear."

Colin sunk back onto the seat and fastened his seat belt. "If that Agent saw you, he saw me too." He muttered angrily.

"I was just being careful. He was too far away to see us through these windows. He shouted out my name because he recognised my car." Mac sighed inwardy and looked back at the mirror. "They're not following."

Colin glanced suspiciously across at him. "I still don't trust you. Stop the car. I'm getting out."

Mac released a heavy sigh. "No your not."

He stared anxiously out of the side window and reached for the door handle once again.

Mac swore under his breath and slammed his foot on the brakes.

Before Colin got a chance to open the door, Mac had grabbed him and yanked him back. He grasped Colin's Jacket tighter and pulled him towards him. "Jo's gone missing! She's in trouble!"

Colin became dead still and stared back at Mac. Finally he found his voice. "She's . . . missing?"

"Yes." Mac kept his eyes fixed sternly on his. "Why do you refuse to go to the FBI?"

Mac noticed the indignation flicker in Colin's eyes. He took a deep steady breath and willed himself to calm down. "Look. . . I know about Alex Cole."

Colin's eyes flashed back at his. "You know about what happened back in 2007?"

_Not nearly enough._ Mac loosened his grip on Colin's jacket. "Jo told me She saw Alex Cole in Hollis Lane that evening. I believe her."

"Yea. Me too." He muttered a curse and looked away.

Mac glanced back at him for several seconds. "You know something about Alex Cole. What is it?"

Colin forced out a long breath. "His brother was a good man, but Alex Cole? All he lives for is domination and power, and he doesn't care how he obtains it."

Mac frowned across at him. "He had a brother?"

Colin swallowed hard and glanced out of the side window.

"Colin. Who was his brother?"

Slowly, he met Mac's anxious gaze. "James Carter . . . Jo's father."

"Oh God." Mac leaned back in the seat and forced himself to take a steady breath. _Okay. Calm_ _down Mac._ He turned back to Colin. "Okay. Colin. She's looking for a missing box. Do you know where it is?"

Colin closed his eyes. "My God. What have I done?"

The unease crawled up Mac's spine. "Colin. You need to tell me what's going on now!"

He swallowed into an aching throat. "I have the box."

.

.

_**I COULDN'T GET ANY MORE OF THE CHAPTER UP TONIGHT.**_

_**I HOPE TO GET CH 5 UP WEDNESDAY NIGHT. **_

.

.

Colin glanced back up the street and swallowed back a lump in his throat. "I live at 163. I . . . saw a body being removed from the property. I asked J tok check up n him and saw her turn up at his place. I knew that Jo and Seth could have been the only ones inside."

Mac frowned. "Why?"

"In the last few months, Seth's only opened the door to me and Jo."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey :)**_

_**OKAY SO I'M SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS SO SHORT, BUT I THOUGHT ALL YOU JO/MAC FANS OUT THERE MIGHT BE HAPPY TO READ THIS NEXT PART OF THE STORY BEFORE THE WEEKEND.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

_Colin forced out a long breath. "His brother was a good man, but Alex Cole? All he lives for is domination and power, and he doesn't care how he obtains it."_

_Mac frowned across at him. "He had a brother?"_

_Colin turned away and looked out of the side window._

"_Colin. Who was his brother?"_

_Slowly he met Mac's anxious gaze. "James Carter. . . Jo's father."_

"_Oh God." He leaned back in his seat and let out an unsteady breath. 'Okay just calm down and breathe.' "She's looking for a missing box. Do you know where it is?"_

_Colin swallowed into a dry throat and glanced back at Mac. "I have the box."_

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 5.**_

.

.

A moment of silence stretched between them. Mac stared back at Colin, feeling more confused than ever. "_You_ have the box?"

Colin sighed heavily and looked back at the road. "Megan Williams worked at one of the Modern Art Museum's in Washington. She phoned me from work and asked me to meet her at lunch time. I went down there and she handed me a box."

Mac's frown deepened. "When was this?"

Colin turned back to Mac. "6th April 2007 at about 16:00."

Mac sighed inwardly. "Just hours before this all went down at Hollis Lane."

"Yea. . . She told me to look after it and make sure it was kept somewhere safe. She told me not to tell Seth or Jo that I had it." Colin glanced back at the road. "She . . . said if Seth found the document it would ruin his life. She refused to tell me any more. She just ran back into the Museum, leaving me standing in the alley with this box. That was the last time I saw her alive." He swallowed back the emotions. "I took it home that day and . . . hid it."

Mac continued to stare anxiously at him. "What's in the box Colin?"

He remained silent.

Mac leaned toward him. "Seth's dead and Jo's missing! Now tell me what's in the damn box?!"

Colin swallowed hard. "An x – sv Female Lineage DNA Record." He met Mac's intense gaze. "Seth and Jo shared . . . the same biological Mother."

Mac's eyes widened. "Does . . . Jo know?"

"No." Colin muttered.

Mac swore under his breath. He started the car and fixed Colin with a long, hard stare. "Tell me where it is?!"

He released a long, shaky breath and dragged his fingers through his hair.

"Now Colin!" Mac shouted.

"Okay, okay it's . . . 2 W 130th."

.

.

Nolan blew out a breath and leaned back in his seat. "Systems are back online."

The tracer beeped erratically and Alex glanced across at the other monitor. He smiled viciously. "And now we know where she's been hiding out."

Nolan's eyes flashed back at the screen. "She's somewhere near Sound View Park."

Alex grabbed his jacket from the chair. "Go and get Ed. We have to find her now!"

.

.

Jo buzzed on the intercom several times but Colin wasn't answering. She'd guessed he would be at work. She moved quickly around to the back of the building and scanned the perimeter. Fortunately for her, the alley was deserted. She jumped up, grabbed the ladder and climbed the fire escape to Colin's window. After several attempts and a whole lot of force, she finally managed to get the window open and clambered inside.

.

.

Mac drew to a stop at the side of the road.

Colin sighed resignedly and looked up at his apartment building. "Here it is. Second floor." His eye's widened. "Shit! There's someone in my apartment!"

Mac quickly drew out his gun and looked up at the window.

Mac grabbed Colin before he could leg it out of the car. "Stay Here! I'll go and take a look."

Colin flashed Mac an angry stare.

"Just do it Colin!"

He muttered under his breath and slouched back in the seat. "Fine. I'll wait here."

Mac got out of the car and moved quickly up the steps to the main entrance.

.

.

Jo caught sight of a large engraved box sitting at the bottom of Colin's wardrobe. It was almost identical to the two smaller boxes in the cabinet back at Seth's place. She crouched down grabbed it.

.

.

Mac's heart raced as he charged up the stairs and dashed along the dark corridor to Colin's apartment. He slowed his pace, crept up to his door and tried the handle.

Jo's heart froze as she stared down at the DNA Sample sheet In front of her. Suddenly, the terrible memory flashed back into her mind.

_Seth grabbed her hand. 'Jo. . . You're . . . my half sister.'_

Tears filled her eyes. "NO!" She cried.

Fear gripped Mac's heart when he heard her cry out. "JO!"

He reared back and slammed his body into the door. It didn't budge. "JO . . . IT'S MAC. OPEN THE DOOR!" Suddenly he heard footsteps running to the back of the apartment. "JO STOP!"

He swore under his breath, reared back and slammed into the door harder. This time the lock broke and it flew open. He bolted into the apartment and took off after her.

Jo raced through the back room and pulled the window open.

She'd very nearly made it onto the fire escape, but suddenly his strong arms grabbed her from behind and pull her back inside.

She tried to get free. "Let me go!. . . Mac! Just . . . let me go!" She shouted.

He whirled her around and checked her over for injuries.

_Thank God. . . Finally I've found her._

He gripped her tighter and fixed her with a long, hard stare. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

He swallowed back the heart ache as he pulled her against him and held onto her for dear life.

She tried several more attempts to pull away, but he wouldn't let her go. A sob escaped her and she sunk into his arms.

He forced himself to calm down. He brought her head to his chest and stroked her hair. "Shh. It's gonna be okay." he whispered.

After a couple of minutes he pulled away slightly and gazed into her eyes. "You okay?"

She stepped back and turned away. "I'm . . . fine."

Suddenly He caught sight of the rucksack on her back. "Did you find the box." He asked softly.

She sighed heavily and met his anxious gaze. "Yes."

Mac suddenly noticed the anger flicker in her eyes.

"Where's Colin?"

"He's outside in the car." He answered.

Jo tore around Mac and bolted out of the room.

Mac muttered under his breath and went off after her.

Jo slammed through the main doors of Colin's apartment building and came to an abrupt stop on the side street. A split second later Mac had joined her and was now staring across at his car. "Dammit!" He ran into the road and scanned the street. Colin had gone.

Jo started walking quickly up the street. Before she knew what was happening Mac was by her side, steering her back to his car. "I'm driving you to my Apartment and you're gonna get some sleep. You look exhausted."

"I . . . need to . . . spend some time alone. I'm going back to . . . my place." What she really mean't was, she was going to disappear back to Sound View Park.

"That's not gonna happen Jo. I want you where I can see you." Mac moved around the car with her, and opened the door. "Get in."

She could see the stubborn determination on his face and knew Immediately that he wasn't going to let her get away from him. She sighed inwardly and got into the passenger seat.

Mac shut the door, walked around the car and got in. He started the engine and noticed her put the rucksack by her feet.

"What else have you got in there?"

She continued to stare out at the road and said nothing.

She looked so lost right now and it brought a low, raw ache gripping at his heart like a vice. He pushed out a breath, turned the car around and drove the car back up W130th.

.

.

At 14:30 Don had turned up at the CSI Department looking for Mac. Immediately, Danny pulled him into the conference room and demanded he tell him everything he knew about the case. Several minutes later the two of them were joined by Lindsay, Adam, and Sheldon.

Don saw their concerned faces so he gave in and told them what he and Mac had been up to last night. He also showed them the three documents that Kye had given to him. Five minutes later he finished filling the team in on everything he'd missed out and was met by a long, tense silence.

Finally Danny rose from his seat and stared back at Don, the stunned shock still flickering in his eyes. "We need to get to Inwood and . . . search for evidence. We've got to find Jo!"

Don sighed heavily, "This is an FBI Case remember. If you go up there now, the FBI will see you and frog march you straight out of there." He grabbed his phone from his pocket and pressed speed dial.

Sheldon tore his eyes from the Case File and glanced across the room at Don. "Are you calling Mac?"

"Yep." Don pressed the phone to his ear and started pacing.

"Good. Because this is making me really nervous and Mac should be back by now." Lindsay murmured quietly.

Don was relieved when he finally answered the phone. "Mac. Where the hell are you?"

Mac opened his front door and Jo moved briskly passed him into the Apartment. "I'm . . . at home." He frowned slightly, when he saw Jo walk across the main living room into his office carrying her rucksack with her. He quickened his pace and followed her.

Don stared down at the phone like it had just grown two heads. Mac never went home in the middle of the day. "What are you doing at home?"

Adam raised his eyebrows at Don. "Mac's at home?"

Mac's eyes widened as Jo pulled out an impressive looking Hard Drive and placed it on his desk.

Don raised his voice down the phone. "Mac! Talk to me!"

"I've . . . gotta go. I just wanted you to know I've found Jo and she's fine. She's with me, so she's safe."

"Oh thank God. . . Are you sure she's okay?"

Sheldon rose quickly out of his seat and glanced anxiously back at Don.

Don pressed the phone closer to his ear. "Mac? . . . Mac!" He muttered a curse and hung up.

Danny stared anxiously across at him. "Mac's found Jo?"

He released a long, steady breath. "Yea. He's found her."

"That's . . . really good news." Sheldon answered, slightly breathlessly.

Adam sunk back in his seat like a wet sponge. "Thank God."

Danny walked quickly up to Don. "Where did he find her?"

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out."

.

.

"Jo. What is this?" Mac asked, feeling a little uneasy now.

She connected the hard drive to his computer and stared across at the monitor. "I managed to disable Alex Cole's Security System's and was able to retrieve about half a dozen of his private files."

Several documents came up on the screen.

Mac tore his eyes from Jo and glanced across at his computer. "That's . . . Alex Cole's signature."

She scanned the pages. "My God." Her eyes widened. "He's been involved in Embezzlement, Securities Fraud, Skimming Casino's." She scrolled further down the page and swallowed back a lump in her throat. "Art Theft, Arms Trafficking, Drug trafficking . . ." Her breath hitched in her throat as she came to the bottom of the page.

_Contract Killings. . . Sex Trafficking. . . CRAP! _

Mac pulled Jo away from the computer and quickly closed the window.

Jo got shakily out of the chair and tore out of the Mac's Office.

"Jo." Mac came to a stop at the door way and watched her disappear down the hall. A few seconds later he heard the door to the Guest Room being slammed shut. He leaned against the door and looked back at the computer. The rage slammed through his heart. _I will find you, you sonofabitch._

_._

_._

_**Yea . . . MAC AND JO ARE TOGETHER AGAIN. **_

_**MAC WILL TALK TO CHRISTINE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER . (I DON'T KNOW HOW AMICABLE THAT CONVERSATION WILL BE YET.)**_

_**AND AFTER THAT MAC AND JO WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT JO WROTE IN THE LETTER. MAN THIS IS GONNA START GETTING ANGSTY AND HOT WITH JO / MAC IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS. **_

_**AND THEN OF COURSE EVERYONE'S GONNA BE OUT THERE TRYING TO FIND ALEX COLE. WILL HE FIND JO FIRST THO? **_

_**WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE:)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**HEY :)**_

_**SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY GETTING THIS CHAPTER UP.**_

_**FINALLY THO LOL :)**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

_Jo scanned the pages. Her eyes widened. "He's . . . been involved in Embezzlement, Securities Fraud, Skimming Casino's . . ." She scrolled further down the page. "Art Theft, Arms Trafficking, Drugs Trafficking. . ." Her breath hitched in her throat as she came to the bottom of the page._

_'Contract Killings, Sex Trafficking . . . Crap.' Mac pulled Jo away from the computer and quickly closed the window._

_She got shakily to her feet and tore out of his Office._

"_Jo." Mac slowed to a stop at the door and watched her disappear down the hall. A few seconds later he heard the door to the Guest Room slamming shut. _

_He leaned up against the wall and glanced back at the computer, the rage slamming through his heart. 'I'll find you, you sonofabitch.'_

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 6.**_

.

.

Mac decided to leave Jo alone for a while. He went back to the computer and looked through the rest of the files that she'd managed to retreive from Alex Cole's Computer.

Cole's signature had been on six illegal contracts. There had been deliveries of AK 47 Fire Arms and several hundred pounds of Canabis had been imported from Mexico just the other month.

Several minutes later, Mac found some more documents. Another shipment had come in last month. It was a list from 1 to 50. The girls had just been a number. They had no name. Their ages had been written beside the number. They were between 13 to 16 years of age and along side their ages, their physical attributes had been added. Mac swallowed back the rage, leaned forward in his seat and tried to calm down. He needed to give himself a couple of minutes before he continued searching through the rest of the data.

The next two contracts were to do with Extortion and Illegal gambling.

And according to the most updated information, Cole had collected $10,000 just last week for killing a Darren Hurstwood.

It was all there. Jo had got him. She'd found the evidence she'd needed to bring him down, but it had come at a huge price.

Mac had seen enough. He disconnected the hard drive and switched off the computer, then he walked out of the Office and through the apartment to the Guest Room. He listened by the door and heard her moving around inside. He could hardly blame her for being unable to sleep. He tapped lightly.

Jo looked toward the door and released a long, pent up breath. "Yes."

"Can I come in?"

She sighed heavily. "Okay."

Mac opened the door and saw her standing at the far end of the room gazing out of the window.

He closed the door quietly behind him and looked back at her. "I was going to make a hot drink. Would you like one?"

"Yea. Coffee will be good."

Mac stared across at her for several seconds. "How about Hot Chocolate."

She glanced down at her watch, then frowned back at him. "At three o' clock in the afternoon?"

"Did you sleep last night?"

She looked away and crossed her arms tightly around her. "I don't need to sleep. I'm really not that tired . . ." She stopped mid-sentence and stared anxiously back at him. "My God. What am I doing here. I've got to get that Hard Drive to the FBI Department right away!"

Jo started toward the door.

Mac stepped back, so that he was standing right in front of it.

"I'm taking the Hard Drive. You're staying here."

Her eyes widened. "I can't do that. I need to . . . give a written statement and . . ." She turned back to the window and swallowed hard. "They'll want to question me." She said, her voice now barely above a whisper.

"Jo, I'll let Russ know you're fine and we'll go down there together in the morning."

Her eyes shot back at his. "I'm not dragging you into this mess Mac."

"No you're not. I'm willingly traipsing into it with you."

"No . . . You can't."

"Yes I can."

"Mac Please." She pleaded.

Mac caught sight of the DNA Test Jo had found in the box. It was lying on the bedside table only a few feet away and he could see the results clearly. It did indeed prove that Seth had the same biological mother as Jo.

He remembered one of the messages he'd read on the Hard Drive several minutes ago, the message which he'd guessed Jo had discovered earlier. It explained how she'd discovered the box's location. There was still no proof that Alex Cole had actually falsified his personal history to cover this up. All Mac knew was what was in this message and what Colin had told him.

Nolan Garrett and Alex Cole knew about a box and they were desperate to find it, but did they actually know what was in it?

What if Cole really didn't know that he had a son? Hard to believe, but there was no evidence to suggest that he did. Jo's Mother had Seth adopted and sent away to Colorado the moment he was born.

Taking all the information into account, If just this one D.N.A Sheet had been discovered by the FBI or the NYPD, Would Alex Cole have been commanded to step down from his position as Assistant Director? If the story was leaked to the press, yes. Would he have been told to leave the FBI altogether? Probably. But Mac doubted the FBI would have looked further into this. It certainly wouldn't have been enough to arouse suspicion of his Crimininal Activities.

Maybe in this situation, ignorance was bliss?

That's what Colin thought any way.

Right at this moment Mac couldn't help but think it too.

He couldn't help but wish he hadn't asked Colin where the box was now. They had enough evidence on the Hard Drive to put Cole away for life. They didn't need that DNA Sheet in that damn box . . .

Mac was torn from his thoughts by a flash of movement.

Jo dived across the bed and snatched up the sheet of paper. "This is . . . nothing. It's just . . ."

"Jo I already know."

Her eyes flashed back at his. "What?"

Mac released a long breath and perched himself on the edge of the bed. "Don met with Kye Simmonds late last night. Kye told him he'd found DNA Evidence that confirmed Alex Cole was Seth's father."

Jo continued to stare across at Mac for several more seconds. "Oh. Okay. . . I take it it's in the hands of the FBI now." She murmured quietly.

"No. It isn't."

She glanced quickly back at Mac. "He hasn't taken it in?"

Mac sighed heavily. _Great._ "He . . . didn't get a chance. He was taken from his apartment at 05:00 this morning and. . . he didn't go willingly."

Her eyes widened. "My God."

"The DNA Data's missing."

Jo tore her eyes from Mac and stared back at the window. "Did anyone see anything?"

"All I know is, Several neighbors phoned in reporting a disturbance. The FBI aren't giving us any further information at the moment." Mac sighed inwardly. "Jo? Look at me."

She swallowed into an aching throat and slowly turned back to Mac.

"You don't have to hide them DNA Test Results from me. Colin's already filled me in." Mac replied gently.

Jo blinked back the tears and brought out the sheet of paper from behind her back. "I don't know how I'm ever going to get passed this." She whispered.

Mac shifted toward her and slowly took the sheet of paper from her hand. "You will get through this Jo." A quick scan of the page confirmed that Seth matched the same sequences of DNA as Alex Cole. That was a 99.9% certainty that Alex was indeed Seth's father. Mac drew in a breath, let it out. He put the DNA Results Sheet on the bedside table and turned back to her. "It's a lot to take in. You need to give yourself some time."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "I feel . . . so tired"

He moved closer and held out his arms. "Come here." he whispered.

She shuffled toward him and laid her head on his chest.

He grabbed the crumpled up blanket and wrapped it around her, then he brought his arms around her and pressed his lips to the top of her head. Having Jo close like this felt so good. It felt. . . amazing.

Christine flashed into his mind and suddenly he remembered the text message she'd sent him this morning.

_**I'm coming round your place tonight, when i've finished work.**_

_**We have to talk.**_

He swore inwardly and slowly leaned his head back against the pillow. There was no way he was going to let Jo go back to her apartment until they found Alex Cole and his gang. She was staying right here, which meant he had to stop Christine coming around tonight. If she found out Jo was staying in his apartment . . . My God. That wouldn't look good. He needed to get over to the restaurant this afternoon and talk to Christine, but more importantly, he had to get the hard drive to Russ and let him know he'd found Jo. Damnit. He really should have phoned Russ by now.

Several minutes later, Mac was torn from his thoughts by the sound of a light tapping on his apartment door.

_Who the hell's that?_

He glanced quickly down at Jo and was relieved to find her now fast asleep in his arms. Suddenly aware of her warm body beside him, he breathed deep and smelled her. _Christ._ _Look at her. She's just . . . beautiful._ He could carry on fighting these feelings he had for her, deny how much he cared for her. Lie to himself until Iraq became the fifty-first state, but he couldn't out run it any longer. The truth had dogged him like a shadow, relentless and demanding for the last two years and now he had to face it.

He eased carefully off the bed so he wouldn't wake her, took the DNA Results from the bedside table and moved quickly out of the room closing the door quietly behind him.

When he reached the front door he looked through the peephole and saw Don standing out in the corridor, the impatience etched on his face.

The second Mac had released the lock, Don came barrelling through the door into the apartment.

He glanced anxiously around the main room. "Where the hell is she?"

"Don she's . . . fine. Just calm down or you'll end up waking her. She's asleep in the Guest Room."

Don pushed out a long, pent up breath and started pacing around the room. "Okay." He came to an abrupt stop and turned back to Mac. "Where did you find her?"

"At Colin's place."

Don frowned. "Who's Colin?"

Don was about to grill him for more information but Mac cut him off abruptly. "Look I'll fill you in later, but right now I need you to hang around here for an hour and keep an eye on Jo. I have to get a Hard Drive to the FBI Department. I wont be long."

Mac started for the office.

Don stopped him. "What Hard Drive?"

Mac sighed inwardly. "Jo hacked into Alex Cole's computer. It's good news. We have the evidence to take Alex Cole down. Now get out of my damn way."

Don stood frozen to the spot as Mac brushed passed him. When he returned a couple of moments later with Jo's rucksack, Don was still in the same spot trying to process the information.

"Okay. I'll be back soon. Don't let her leave this apartment."

Don glanced back at Mac and took a deep steady breath. "Okay. . .I'll hang around here." Suddenly he saw Mac putting a sheet of paper in the front pocket of the ruck sack. He glanced closer at it, his frown deepened and he quickly snatched it out of his hand. "What is this?"

Mac cursed under his breath. "Don just give it back . . ." He stopped mid – sentence and sighed again. Don was going to find out about this sooner rather than later. It was probably best he knew about this now.

Don stared wide eyed at the DNA Results. "My God." He glanced back at Mac, his eyes wide with concern. "I'm guessing Jo didn't know about this before hand?"

Mac took it back from him. "No." He murmured. "This was what was . . . in the box."

"You found the box too?"

Mac released another heavy breath. "Jo found it." He turned quickly on his heels and walked out of his apartment, leaving Don standing there trying to take in everything he had just heard.

.

.

In a fit of rage Alex Cole threw one of the wooden chairs against the wall. He pointed at the desk. "She had a bloody Hard Drive connected to this computer!"

Ed glanced around the room. "I can't see it. She must have taken it with her."

Alex bounded toward Ed and grabbed the front of his suit Jacket. "I know that you Idiot!" He pushed Ed backwards. He came close to barrelling into the old wooden bookcase in the corner, but just managed to stay on his feet.

Nolan scanned the room. "Apart from the Hard Drive her bag of clothes and her tech equipment are still here. She'll come back for them. I say we wait for her."

Alex swore loudly and turned back to Nolan. "She could turn up with a whole load of damn FBI Agents. She's probably even handed the Hard Drive to them by now." He glared viciously back at her computer. "Well she's not going to get away with this."

Nolan looked back at Alex. "So how do we do this?"

Alex's eyes flashed back at Nolan and Ed. "Nolan. Call the rest of the gang down here. A group will watch this house." He gazed furiously back at the computer. "Us three will take half a dozen other men with us in the van and go look for her. She won't get away with this." He snarled

.

.

It took Mac less than fifteen minutes to get to the FBI Building. He drew up along the side walk, grabbed Jo's rucksack from the seat and headed inside.

Russ was standing outside his office talking to a Carl Bertrum when he saw Mac walking quickly towards him. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Jo's Rucksack on Mac's Shoulder. He cut Carl short and told him they would need to finish this conversation later, then quickly held his door open and motioned Mac inside. He slammed the door shut and spun back to him, his eyes wide with concern. "Where did you get that?"

Mac dropped her rucksack on Russ's desk and pulled out the Hard Drive. "I've found Jo. She's fine. . . upset but fine."

A wave of relief swept through him. "Thank God."

"Russ. She's really tired. Let me bring her down here tomorrow, when she's had a good night sleep."

Russ grabbed the hard drive off Mac, strode toward his desk and connected it to the computer. "I can't consider that until I see what's on this hard drive."

Mac released a long breath. "You wont like it."

Russ's eyes flashed to Mac's, then back at the monitor. Suddenly several files came up on the screen. He scanned the information before him and Immediately his heart froze. Finally he met Mac's anxious gaze. "She . . . was right." He slowly rose out of his seat. "Where is she?"

Mac glanced across at him for several seconds. "She's in my apartment asleep in the Guest Room. Don's round there."

"Where did you find her?"

"I . . . ran into a Colin Smith just up the road from Seths Apartment. He was worried about Jo. He wanted to know if she was okay. He started to open up to me. I asked him if he knew about a box. He told me he had it. I managed to get him to tell me where it was." Mac reached back into the rucksack brought it out and put it on the desk.

Russ gazed sternly back at Mac. "Who the hell is Colin Smith Mac?

"He was Seth's friend. He know's Jo pretty well too."

"So where is he?"

Mac swore inwardly. "He ran."

Russ cursed loudly. "He ran? Why the hell did you let him get away?!"

Mac glared back at Russ. "I was busy trying to stop Jo from bolting out of the building?"

Russ stared back at him. Now he was totally confused. He pushed out a long deep breath and forced himself to focus. "What building?"

Mac sighed heavily and started pacing around the room. "2 W 130th."

Russ grabbed a pen and paper and jotted down Colin's name and address.

Mac continued. "Colin had the box in his apartment and that's where I found Jo. Look Russ. I don't believe Colin is the bad guy here. He was hiding the box from Seth and Jo to protect them, and when he ran off, it was because he didn't want the FBI anywhere near him. He know's about Alex Cole and he hates the FBI because of him."

Russ swore under his breath and grabbed his phone. "I'm sending a van around to your place. The two of you will need some protection until we can catch up with Alex Cole . . ." He stopped mid – sentence and glanced quickly back at Mac. "Wait. What or who was Colin Smith trying to protect Seth and Jo from?"

Mac cursed inwardly and brought the sheet of paper out of his pocket. "This was found in the box."

Russ walked up to Mac, took it from him and scanned the information.

His breath caught in his throat and all he could do was stare in stunned shock at the DNA Results in front of him.

"As you can imagine, this has been quite a shock for her. Just leave her alone tonight Russ."

Russ tore his eyes from the sheet of paper and looked up, just in time to see him disappear out of the office and down the corridor. "Mac wait!"

Mac tore out the building, jumped in his car and drove away from there as fast as he could. Luckily Russ hadn't sent a load of Agents after him.

His next stop was Christine's restaurant. It was just a few blocks away so it only took him a couple of minutes. When he drew the car to a stop and stepped out onto the side walk his heart was pounding like marching feet. He drew in a deep breath, let it out, then walked up to the restaurant, hesitating slightly as he pulled open the main doors and disappeared inside.

"Mac!" Christine appeared from behind the counter and moved quickly toward him. "I'm so glad you're here." She glanced around, then took his arm and lead him to the edge of the room. "I'm really sorry about last night. I was just being stupid and childish. We have something good together, you and me . . ." Her smile wavered as she stared up at him. ". . . right?"

Mac swallowed into a dry throat. _Oh God help me. _"Christine. I know you're working, but I had to come here to tell you that . . . you're right. We . . . do need to talk about us. We can't do this tonight though. I'm working around the clock on an extremely important case and. . ."

Christine raised her hand to stop him, the smile now totally vanished from her face. "Well you've got to come back to your apartment some time tonight. I'll let myself in and wait for you."

Mac's eyes widened. "No. . . no, no you can't. . . I mean, I'll probably be at the Station all night and . . ."

"My God. You really want to break up with me don't you?"

"No. . . I mean. . ." He stopped dead in his tracks and sighed heavily. "Look. We can't talk about this now."

Her face drained to pale. And something even stronger than pain glazed her features. _Humiliation._

He felt like he'd just kicked a puppy._ Great going Mac. _"I'm just saying, I think it will be a good idea to talk this through . . ." He stopped mid - sentence, when suddenly she spun around and took off across the busy floor.

She moved remarkably fast in her heels, so fast, he had to scramble to catch up with her. She'd woven her way through the crowd, exited the restaurant and was well into the back hallway before he finally snagged her arm. With more discretion then he thought he had in him, he gripped her upper arm and turned her slowly around to face him. "Look I know I've hurt you. You didn't deserve this. I'm sorry."

"Go to hell."

"Right. Look, Christine . . ."

"As far as i'm concerned we have nothing more to say to each other."

When her gaze met his, hurt and anger flashed in her green eyes like mortar fire through night vision goggles.

"Now if you don't mind, I want nothing more right now then to watch you disappear out of my restaurant and out of my life for good." She fixed him with a long, hard stare. "Have a great life Mac!" She spat bitterly.

There wasn't much Mac could do but watch her walk away. He dragged a hand through his hair. God he felt like the scum of the earth. She had every right to lay into him. She hadn't deserved this crap.

Trying to settle himself, he turned around and headed back out the restaurant. He wasn't about to leave it like this, but he couldn't talk to Christine now. His top priority was to do everything in his power to find Alex Cole and get him behind bars, but first he needed to go to Jo's apartment, grab her some clothes and toiletries and get back to her and Don as quick as possible.

He got to Jo's apartment in double quick time.

He found a spare bag in her bedroom and started filling it with clothes.

When he pulled open her top drawer he found himself staring down at her underwear. He quickly tore his eyes away. _For God sake Mac. Get a grip._ Without looking this time, he grabbed a load of bra's and panties and shoved them in the bag along with several sets of night clothes. He went to zip up the bag but his eyes were suddenly locked on her silk night dress like steel to a magnet. God. It looked so damn hot. Too damn hot. Unsettlingly aroused, he quickly pulled it out of the bag, chucked it back in the drawer and chose another set of pyjama's. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared down at them for several seconds. He smiled inwardly. She looked so cute in these. He remembered seeing her wearing them a few months back when he'd come round and dropped off a case file. He rolled his eyes and sighed. _She_ _looks so damn gorgeous in whatever she wears. _He zipped up the bag and walked out of her bedroom.

He came to an abrupt stop along the hallway when he saw her Study to his left. He gazed across at it for several seconds. Then slowly placed her bag on the floor and walked up to the door. He tried the handle and it opened easily. He walked inside and looked around for a few minutes. Suddenly he caught sight of the door in the corner of the room. Jo said it led to a walk in cupboard. He'd never seen inside. He walked across the room toward it and found it locked, but after several attempts he was finally able to break the door open. He stepped inside and turned on the light.

It was no small cupboard. It was another room, roughly the same size as her Study. His breath stalled in his chest. There were photo's of Alex Cole, newspaper cuttings of him, several Maps of Hollis lane and the surrounding area, Autopsy pictures of Megan Williams, Crime Scene Photo's. Most of this was the evidence collected from back in 2007. But Jo had managed to get hold of recent newspaper articles of Alex Cole just before he retired six months ago. Mac cursed inwardly and released a heavy breath, then he spun around and got the hell out of there.

When Mac arrived back at his place Jo was still asleep. Don stayed with him for another half hour while he talked to him in a little more depth about his encounter with Colin Smith, but he kept what he'd seen in Jo's apartment quiet. He needed to talk to her about this first.

After Don left, Mac got to work cooking a pasta dish for tea. He was leaning up against the kitchen counter, finishing up a glass of juice and squaring away the arguments in his head when he heard her walk up behind him.

"Hi."

He turned quickly and stared across at her for several seconds. Yes. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. "Hey. . . How are you feeling?"

"I'm . . . feeling better. Thanks." She replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "Look. I'm sorry I got all teary on you. I was being a baby." She faked a smile.

He didn't smile back. "No. You weren't. You were upset. It must have been quite a shock."

Her smile faded and she tore her eyes from Mac. "I'm fine."

He sighed inwardly, reached for a clean glass and poured her some juice. "Drink this."

She turned back and stared down at the Juice. "Thanks." She walked back to the breakfast bar, drew up a stool, then cupped the glass in her hand and took a sip. Suddenly remembering what Mac had said to her earlier, her eyes flashed back at his. "The Hard Drive."

"I took it to the FBI and handed it to Russ, so now it's time to let this case go Jo. The FBI will find Alex Cole Okay?"

She gazed back at her glass.

"Jo?"

She looked back and immediately noticed the intense anxiety flickering in his eyes. "Look. I'm . . . sorry I took off like that last night, but I had to . . ." Jo froze to the spot when Mac slammed his glass down on the breakfast bar.

"No you didn't! You should never have done something so reckless! Why didn't you talk to me about this?!"

Jo jumped off the stool. "I _did_ tell you."

"You told me last night."

"Yes!"

"Why didn't you share this with me before?!"

She stared back at him. "What?"

Mac released a long, pent up breath and gazed exasperatedly at her. "Why did you leave

Washington?"

"Mac. What are you talking about?"

"Why Jo?"

"Because of the John Curtis case. You know that."

"That's why you left the FBI. I'm asking you why you left Washington and moved here."

She swallowed hard and looked away. "I . . . needed a change."

Mac moved around the breakfast bar toward her. He gently grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. "No. You were obsessed with the case."

Her eyes flashed back at his. "Mac. I wasn't . . ."

He cut her off and continued. "You wanted to forget what happened that night in Hollis Lane. You hated what it was doing to you, didn't you? You moved here to try and get away from it, but you couldn't bring yourself to throw out the case file. That's why you still have the Crime Scene and Autopsy photo's, as well as the rest of the evidence reports from 2007, and of course photo's and newspaper clippings of Alex Cole."

She stared up at him her eyes wide. "You. . . broke into . . . the back room?"

He saw the anger flicker in her eyes and swallowed into a dry throat. _Dammit._ "I needed to check."

She tried to push him away, but he just held her more firmly. "Why . . . Why would you do that?" She shouted.

Their eyes were suddenly locked on each other and an immeasurable silence stretched between them. He said nothing, just leaned toward her until his mouth was a mere breath away from hers. "Because I . . . love you." he whispered.

.

.

_**DO MAC AND JO KISS? FIND OUT IN NEXT CHAPTER.**_

_**AND MORE CSI TEAM SCENES.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**HEY GUYS **_

_**I HAVE TO SAY I HAVEN'T GOT MY SMILEY FACE ON 2NIGHT.**_

_**AN 8 YEAR OLD KID GOT RUN OVER OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE TODAY. WE SAW IT HAPPEN AND I'M STILL FEELING PRETTY SICK. **_

_**DRIVER TOOK OFF BUT WE GOT PART OF THE NUMBER PLATE, SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE MY HEARTS NOT IN THE WRITING. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE THE REST OF THE CHAPTER. **_

_**THIS CHAPTER'S AROUND 1600 WORDS. I THOUGHT ABOUT NOT SUBMITTING IT UNTIL I'D WRITTEN MORE BUT I'M GOING TO GET THIS SHORT BIT UP BECAUSE I THINK YOU JO / MAC FANS WILL LOVE IT.**_

_**PLEASE R&R **_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What Happened At The End Of The Previous Chapter.**_

_._

_._

_Mac turned Jo to face him. "You were Obsessed with this case."_

_Her eyes flashed back at his. "Mac. I was not . . ."_

_He cut her off quickly. "You wanted to forget what happened in Hollis Lane that night. You hated what it was doing to you and so you moved out of Washington to try and get away from it."_

_She shook her head in denial. "No. You're wrong."_

"_You couldn't bring yourself to throw out the case file though could you? That's why you've still got the Crime Scene and Autopsy Photo's, as well as the rest of the Evidence Reports from 2007, oh and let's not forget the the recent Newspaper cuttings of Alex Cole."_

_She stared up at him, her eyes wide."You broke into my . . . back room?"_

_He saw the hurt and anger in her eyes. 'Dammit!' "I . . . needed to check."_

_She tried to push him away, but he just held onto her more firmly. "Why would you do that?" She shouted._

_Their eyes locked on each other, Jo became suddenly very still, and a silent, immeasurable moment passed between them. Then slowly, Mac leaned toward her until his mouth was a mere breath away from hers. "Because . . . I love you." He whispered._

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 7.**_

.

.

He moved in and pulled her against him.

His mouth was suddenly on hers, so soft and tender. Then his hands were in her hair, fingers streaming through it, clutching at it, and before she knew it her arms were locked around him, the desires she'd ruthlessly buried, breaking the surface, screaming to life as the kiss became hot, greedy and demanding.

He wanted, craved the heat that swept through him as the demanding crush of her insatiable lips, electrified his body. He'd never known such a steep rise of desire build through him. God. He was being driven toward delirium with just one kiss. Passion radiated from her and he wanted to give her more, and take more.

She pulled away from the kiss and stepped back, her breaths coming fast and rapid. "You. . .What?"

He turned away trying to find some semblance of self control, but the tangle of emotions blocked all logic and reason. He whirled back around to face her. "Yes I love you okay? . . . I just. . . I didn't want things to become complicated between us. . . I . . ." He released a long pent up breath. "I don't know what else to say."

Jo stood there frozen to the spot for several seconds unable to make sense of any of this. "But. . . you're with Christine."

Mac sighed inwardly. "I was. I'm not any more." He looked back at her and immediately saw the emotions flicker in her eyes. He swore inwardly. "Look I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. . . kissed you tonight. You've gone through enough today."

Her eyes widened, then she blinked, seemed to focus. "You broke up with Christine?"

"Yes."

"But . . . Why?"

He moved toward her once again and smelled her. It was like inhaling a tropical forest, exotic flowers, erotic woman scents that heated his blood and had skippy waking up by degrees. "I told you already."

She went to back away again, but he reached out and gently grasped her arm. "When you disappeared last night, When I saw your car at the bottom of Inham Hill, I thought I'd lost you Jo. That's when everything changed. I realised I couldn't deny these feelings any more. I couldn't keep seeing Christine. I don't love her. I love you."

She became very still once again and her breath as soft and sweet as a midnight breeze whispered across his face. In that moment he knew she was as aware of him as he was of her. And that like him, she didn't have a clue what to do about it.

She swallowed hard and stared down at the floor. "Okay Mac. The last twenty four hours has been kind of crazy. Tomorrow you'll have all of this in perspective and . . ."

She stopped mid – sentence as he lifted his hand to her hair. And sank into a softness so silky and alive as anything he'd ever encountered. He brought his mouth close to her ear. "Jo. I know I love you. . ." He whispered. " . . I got your note by the way."

She raised her head and met his piercing eyes. "You weren't suppose to find me."

"I wouldn't have given up looking for you until I'd found you." He gazed back at her for several more seconds. "Why didn't you want me to find you anyway?"

"I didn't want you to . . . find out." She whispered.

He frowned. "You already knew about the family connection you had with Cole?"

"Seth told me. . . before he died."

"Why didn't you tell me this last night?" Suddenly Mac noticed the shame and guilt flicker in her eyes. His breath hitched in his throat. "My God. You thought if I found out I'd think any less of you?"

Her eyes flashed back at his and he realised she was trying to fight back the tears.

"Mac! He's my . . . Uncle."

"So?"

Fear tightened her chest and a sob escaped her. "He went into the FBI . . . so did I . . ." She turned away.

Mac pulled her back to face him. "Whoa, wait just a minute. Jo you're nothing like him." He brought his arms around her and held her. "You're nothing like him." he repeated quietly.

For several minutes she just clung to him. He felt her tears on his shirt, but she was so silent.

She released a long shuddering breath, pulled away and met his anxious gaze. "Mac. We can't get involved."

He swallowed hard as a raw, dull ache gripped his heart in a vice. "Why?"

"You can't be with me. I won't drag you into this. . ."

"You're not dragging me into anything." He interrupted. "I'm not leaving your side."

Fear and panic strained her features. "Mac please . . ."

He moved toward her and gently cupped her face in his hands, his thumb lightly brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. "Jo it's gonna be okay."

She drew in a breath that was spiced with his scent. She was so close to him and she could feel all that solid strength and masculine heat. That's when she lost it. Forgot about everything that had happened in the last 24 hours, about right, about wrong, about who she was. Mistake or not, she remained too aware of the night closing in, the silence, the cocooning isolation of his apartment and the residual effects of the past few minutes of heightened sexual awareness.

Silence settled, heavy and thick. It was time to back away before, he ended up totally losing control once again. "I . . . brought you some clothes from your apartment . . ."

On a deep breath she pushed her body against his and cut him off with a deep, long kiss.

Heat speared through him like lightning as the kiss intensified and several seconds was all it took, before his blood was firing through him, blasting a bubbling charge of lust straight to his belly.

"I feel dizzy." she whispered. "Something about you makes me dizzy."

"Then you should get off your feet." In one quick move he scooped her up in his arms.

"Mac. What are you . . ." She was cut off, her skin springing to life with a thousand nerves as his lips wandered down her throat. The sensation rippled through her and had a lovely fog settling over her brain. ". . .Never mind."

He started for the bedroom, then he felt sexy little tremors run through her. God He suddenly felt dizzy too. He carried her to the couch instead. "God your hair drives me half crazy Jo" He buried his face in it as he lowered the two of them on the couch.

Then his mouth was on hers again, hot with passion. Those nerve endings exploded electric shocks, as his hands, his lips ran over her like he was starved now for each separate taste.

Hard hands, rough at the palms, rushing over her with both skill and desperation. Riding on the thrill. She dragged at his shirt until her hands found his hot, bare skin and dug in. Man and muscle.

As senses awakened, Jo pulled at Mac's shirt and pants, desperate to get them off him and in no time at all Mac also had her naked beneath him.

He stopped to stare down at her. "You're so beautiful." It drove him toward delirium with her creamy skin, her lovely curves. In the softening light she looked beyond exquisite lying there clouded with pleasure.

He found her breast and had her arching in delicious pleasure, stirring her blood into feverish pulsing life. She rose with him, body to body, moved with him flesh to flesh and passion radiated from her, meeting and matching his own.

He murmured her name, savouring and exploiting as they explored each other. And there was more, he discovered, more than he'd expected.

The orgasm came in one hard, fast wave that swamped her, drowned her and tossed her helplessly over the next crest. "Mac. Stop . . . I cant," She managed, and her head whipsawed, even as her hips arched for more. "It's too much."

"Let go Jo." He slipped inside her slowly, inch by inch, watching her eyes go blind and dark as he moved, driving her over the next edge.

And when she was limp and her breathing in tatters, he shifted to long, steady strokes. "Take more," he murmured, swallowing her groans.

He didn't let himself fall until she did.

.

.

Her head was still spinning when she woke from a dead sleep. Her eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright on the sofa. She felt immediately exposed and reached for the blanket to cover herself.

"Hey."

She whirled around and saw him leaning across the breakfast bar gazing across at her with those gorgeous, piercing eyes. He hadn't bothered with his shirt. God his body was so . . . heavenly.

She stayed very still for several seconds while she tried to swallow her heart back into place.

"Guess I'd better feed you now," he said at length.

She quickly got off the couch and wrapped the blanket tightly around her. "Er. . . Yea." Her eyes shifted to her bag of clothes that had now been placed on the chair several feet away. "I'm just . . . going to get dressed first." She grabbed the bag and disappeared quickly out of the lounge.

.

.

_**WE WILL GET ACTION IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. THINGS WILL REALLY START LIVENING UP.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**HEY :)**_

_**SO HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER. THIS ONE'S GOT SOME ACTION. ;) **_

_**HOPE YOU LIKE IT.**_

_**THANKU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS. THEY MEAN SOOOO MUCH ;D**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

_Her head was still spinning when she woke from a dead sleep. Her eyes flew open and she sat bolt up right on the couch. 'It's morning?' She felt immediately exposed and reached for the blanket to cover herself._

"_Hey."_

_She whirled around and saw Mac leaning over the breakfast bar gazing across at her with those gorgeous, piercing eyes. He hadn't bothered with his shirt. God his body was so . . . heavenly._

_She stayed very still for several seconds while she tried to swallow her heart back into place._

"_Guess I better feed you now." He said at length._

_She quickly got off the couch and wrapped the blanket tightly around her. Er . . . Yea." Her eyes shifted to her bag of clothes that had been placed on the chair several feet away. "I'm just . . . going to get dressed first." She grabbed the bag and disappeared quickly out of the lounge._

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 8.**_

.

.

Mac watched her disappear down the hall. He sighed heavily, straightened up and got on with starting the breakfast.

Ten minutes later Jo was sitting opposite him at the breakfast bar with a plate of egg, bacon, toast and a mug of coffee.

The sex had been incredible. No point in being less than honest about it. It had been so intense, yet he had shown her so much tenderness and it had arrowed straight to her heart. Right now she should be feeling relaxed and loose and comfortable. Instead she felt tense and tight and awkward. . .

"Breakfast okay?"

She broke out of her internal debate to see him watching her steadily with those strong jungle cat eyes. "It's terrific."

"You're not eating it."

Deliberately she forked up some egg and took a bite and swallowed. "I'm not that hungry."

Mac released a long, heavy breath and slid his plate to one side. "Do you regret last night?"

Her eyes flashed back at his. "No . . . of course I don't . . ." She released a long, unsteady breath and looked away. "I just feel a little . . . overwhelmed with everything right now." She answered quietly.

He sat back and tried to clear the buzz from his head by swallowing down some more caffeine. "I know. It probably wasn't the best timing." He placed his mug back on the table and gazed intently at her. ". . . but, I wouldn't change what happened last night for the world."

Slowly, she met his eyes and a faint smile crossed her face. "Me neither." She whispered.

His hand slid up to her wrist and back down to her fingers. They said nothing for several moments. Finally Jo managed to tear her eyes from his. "I'm going to help you clean up your kitchen. Then I have to go."

He rose when she did and a split second later, he'd moved around the breakfast bar and was standing right in front of her. "Where are you going?"

She gazed back at him, hesitated. "I . . . need to go and see Russ. Hand in a written statement. You know that."

He continued to stare across at her. She was holding out on him. "I'll come with you."

She drew in a breath, let it out. "Aren't you going to work?"

"Not today."

She froze to the spot. "What?"

His eyes remained steady on hers. "You heard me. I'm taking the day off."

She swallowed hard. "Why would you do that?"

"I might be the boss of the department, but part of my role is delegation. That's what I'm doing today. Delegating."

"Who's going to be in charge?"

"Danny. He's more than capable and it's about time I gave him some more responsibility."

"Okay. Well you're not coming with me. You haven't taken a day off in like . . . forever, so you need to kick back and relax today." Jo stepped around him and reached for the plates.

He quickly took the plates from her and backed her up against the bar. "Do you really think I'm going to just sit here and watch you run off again?!"

She stared wide eyed back at him and swallowed into an aching throat. "I'm . . . not."

Mac raised his voice in frustration. "Stop lying to me Jo!"

She pushed passed him and walked quickly to the chair for her Jacket. "I said you're not coming with me. I can handle this on my own."

He leaned back against the breakfast bar and gave himself a second to reign in his temper. "Okay fine. I can just find out where your headed to anyway."

Jo spun around and watched him walk to the window.

Mac drew back the blind and looked out. "Carl Bertrum's down there with the van and around half a dozen other Agents. They'll be following you around no doubt. I'll just give him a call."

_Dammit!_ Jo moved quickly toward Mac and stared down at the street. If she wasn't agitated enough to see one van down there, she now spotted another one drawing up along the side walk. So much for her spending the morning back at Sound View Park. There was no way she was going to lead them all there. She wanted to keep that place a secret for now. She glanced back at Mac and attempted to keep her gaze neutral. "I'm going for a walk."

Suddenly there was a tap on Mac's door. He stared across at her for several more seconds, then released a long, weary breath and pushed away from the window sill. "Who is it?" He called.

"It's Carl."

He walked up to the door, unlocked the bolt and opened it. "C'mon in. You want a coffee?"

Jo stared sternly at Carl as he entered the apartment. "Is it really necessary to have two vans parked outside?"

"One of them is for you."

She shook her head in exasperation and looked back out of the window. "Let me guess. You want to transport me to the FBI Apartment to get my statement."

"No. Russ wants you to hop in that van and meet him over at Sound View Park."

She whirled around, her eyes wide.

Mac raised his eyebrows at her. "Sound View Park?"

_Dammit. _They'd found her hide out. She sighed heavily and sunk back on the window ledge.

"Jo?"

"It's a friend's place. I'm looking after her house while she's away. . ."

"And you were in South View Park the other night." Mac finished.

Jo couldn't help but notice Mac's irritated tone. She glanced back at Carl. "Why does he want me to go up _there?"_

Carl raised his hands. "I have no idea. He just said he wanted you to go over there and answer a few questions."

"Fine." Jo murmured. She pushed away from the window and started for the door.

Mac grabbed his jacket. "I'm coming too."

She came to an abrupt halt and turned back to him. "Mac. Just stay here and relax. I'll be back soon."

Mac ignored her and grabbed his keys. "She's coming in the car with me."

Carl stared across at Mac for a couple of seconds. "Okay."

"Lead the way."

Carl turned around and headed out into the corridor.

Jo walked quickly up to Mac. "Look. You really don't have to come."

"I want to. Let's go."

She continued to gaze at him for several more seconds. Yep. He had his stubborn, determined face on. She wasn't going to be able to change his mind. She rolled her eyes and followed him out of the apartment.

.

Jo stared back at the rear view mirror as they approached the end of Turrell Lane. "We have a van in front of us and one behind. Isn't that overkill?"

Mac signalled onto E167th Street. "Okay let me see. You chuck your car off the edge of a cliff, take a Black Porsche at Inham Garage, then disappear for 15 hours. And then when I finally caught up with you at Colin's Apartment yesterday afternoon you did another runner." He looked back at the road. "So I say no."

Jo muttered under her breath and leaned back in her seat. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and tried to call him again. "Why isn't Russ answering his phone?"

Mac shifted his eyes to Jo. "How many times have you tried calling him?"

"Four times in the last ten minutes. It just keeps going to voice mail."

"He's probably got caught up talking to someone. You know what Russ is like." Mac looked back out the front windscreen and followed the van down E 168th Street.

Jo glanced out the rear view mirror. "Didn't you say Steven Evan's and Ben Anderson were in the Van last night? Where are they this morning?"

"They were probably called away on an urgent case. It looks like Aran, Nigel and Mike took over from them." Mac looked back at her and suddenly noticed the anxiety clear in her expression. "What's wrong?"

She turned around and gazed back at the road. "I don't know . . . Something just . . . doesn't feel right."

Unease crawled up Mac's spine. Whenever Jo used those words, it always turned out, the situation they found themselves in definitely wasn't good. Mac pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Jo turned back to Mac. "Who are you calling?"

Mac pressed speed dial and slid it in the hands free device. "Don."

.

Don came to a stop along the corridor and pulled out his cell phone from his pocket. He checked caller ID and brought it to his ear. "Hey. I heard you're taking the day off . . ."

"Don. Have you been in contact with Russ this morning?" Mac interrupted.

"Don's smile faded when he heard the urgency in Mac's voice. "Yea. I talked to him about fifteen minutes ago. He was on his way to your place." His frown deepened. "You haven't seen him yet?"

"Oh God." Jo whispered. She closed her eyes and took a deep unsteady breath.

.

Danny and Lindsay caught sight of Don outside Mac's Office.

Danny frowned. "Don doesn't look too happy all of a sudden."

"Let's go and find out what's happening." Lindsay replied.

They walked quickly out of the lab and down the corridor toward him.

.

Jo swallowed back the lump in her throat. "This can't be happening."

"Okay. Let's not jump to any conclusions here." Mac assured her. "I'm sure everything's just fine."

.

Anxiety slammed through Don's chest. "What's going on?"

Danny moved quickly up to Don, grabbed his phone and pressed down on the loud speaker button.

.

Mac pushed out a long, pent up breath and gazed back at the Van in front of him. "Don. Did Russ say anything about the team finding a property in Sound View Park?"

Don's frown deepened. "I've just come from the FBI Apartment. I'm telling you right now. They know nothing about a fresh lead on a property in Sound View Park."

"How do you know?" Mac asked.

I sneaked into Russ's office after he left and checked the updated case file myself."

Jo's eyes flashed to Mac's.

Mac cursed inwardly and turned back to her. "Okay. I know I'm rather stating the obvious here, but I think we may have a problem."

Jo surreptitiously glanced back out the rear mirror. "We have to loose them."

Don suddenly realised that Mac and Jo were in a car. He grabbed his phone back off Danny. "Just tell me what's happening?"

Jo sighed heavily. "Well. About Twenty minutes ago, Carl Bertrum came up to Mac's apartment and told me Russ wanted me to meet him at Sound View Park. We left straight away."

Lindsay's eyes flashed back at Danny's "My God." She whispered.

"We have one FBI Van in front of us and another behind us." Jo glanced anxiously back at Mac. "We . . . may be surrounded by. . . Rogue Agents right now."

Don muttered a curse. "Where the hell are you two?!"

Mac sighed inwardly and looked back at the Van infront of them. "We're on E 168th."

Danny and Lindsay exchanged concerned glances.

Mac saw a turning up ahead. "Jo. Hang on." He slammed his foot on the brake pedal and skidded around the bend.

Jo raised her voice. "Scrap that Don! We're on Boston Road! Mac's trying to loose them now!"

Don started running for the elevator. "Don't hang up! I'm on my way with back up!"

Danny's eyes flashed back at Lindsay's. "You coming?"

"Absolutely." She answered.

They turned quickly and raced down the corridor after Don.

.

Carl Bertrum's looked out the rear mirror and saw Mac's car turn sharply and speed off down the next road. "Shit! Aran! Stop the damn Van! They've made us!"

Aran slammed down on the brakes and skidded around a full 180 degrees.

Mike moved quickly to the front of the van. "Step on it!" He shouted.

Aran hit the gas and floored it back up the road.

Carl cursed under his breath and Immediately got on the phone to Alex Cole.

Aran turned the wheel sharply and skidded onto Boston Road. He grabbed the radio. "Kelvin! Come in!"

.

Kelvin pulled the car over at the side of Crescent Close and brought the radio towards him. "Yea. What's up?

"Kelvin. I need you to cut off Mac's car on Boston Road! Have you got them?"

Lucas quickly checked the computer. "Yep. We're only a couple of minutes away."

.

"Okay. We'll see you in a bit then." Aran smiled menacingly across at Mike. "Let's have some fun."

Carl hung up and rolled his eyes. "Alex is on his way. He doesn't want her dead remember?"

"Carl. Lighten up for God Sake." He glanced out of the front windscreen at the Van in front of him and pressed down on the radio. "Gareth?!"

'

Gareth looked through the rear view mirror and grabbed his radio. "Yep!"

"Shoot at the tyres!" Aran commanded.

.

Jo glanced out the back window. "We have two Van's behind us now and they're gaining."

"Dammit." Mac looked back at the road. "I can't go any faster. I'm flooring it already."

Just as the words left his mouth a gun shot sounded behind them.

Immediately Jo drew her weapon, leaned out the side window and fired at the van.

.

The bullet went right through the front windscreen and skimmed Gareth's shoulder.

Cameron's eyes widened in terror as the van started to spin out of control. He pushed Gareth out of the way, grabbed the steering wheel and tried to reach for the brake pedal, but the van skidded across the road, flipped onto it's side and rolled into the ditch.

.

Aran cursed loudly and turned the wheel sharply narrowly missing a huge chunk of metal lying in the middle of the road.

Jo turned back and released a shaky breath. "Okay. . One down, one to go."

By now, Don had managed to get to third Avenue. He glanced ahead and saw yet another traffic jam. Dammit! He hit the brakes and turned down Maynard Street. "Mac! I heard a shot! You two okay?"

Mac cursed under his breath. "If you mean are we hit? No!" He looked back at the road and saw a black car speeding toward them in the other direction. "Dammit!" He hit the brakes and skidded onto Crotona Avenue. "Don. Where the hell are you?!"

Suddenly another gun shot went off and Jo ducked down in her seat as it shattered Mac's back windscreen. "We could use some back up right now." She turned and fired at the black car. The bullet went wide.

Don jumped the lights narrowly missing several vehicles, and skidded onto the next road. "I'm a couple of minutes from Morris Avenue!"

Mac sighed inwardly. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to hold them off.

Jo's eyes suddenly widened as she noticed a black Lamborghini speeding right toward them. "Mac."

He shifted his eyes to hers and immediately saw the fear in her expression. His eyes flashed back at the road.

Jo could just make out the number plates as the car sped closer and Immediately her heart started to race. "It's Alex Cole." She whispered.

Mac swore under his breath. He looked out the side window. "Don we can't out run them." He turned the car sharply and skidded off the road.

Jo held on as Mac manoeuvred through the trees, his vehicle bouncing over the rough overgrown weeds and rocky, uneven ground.

He quickly glanced out the rear-view mirror and saw the Black Lamborghini draw up at the side of the road. "We're in Crotona Park! Jo. We have to find somewhere to dump the car and run."

She leaned back in the seat and swallowed back the fear.

Don checked his rear mirror. Danny and Lindsay were right behind him, along with four Patrol cars. He looked back at the road and floored the gas. "I'm nearly at Morris Avenue. Hang on!"

Mac saw a dense set of Oaks up ahead. He tore through them and brought the car to a shuddering stop."

Jo turned quickly to Mac. "We should just stay in the car and find another way out of here."

"Jo. We can't go any further in my car." Mac wrenched open the door and grabbed the phone from the hand set. "Don. I cant stay on the phone." He hung up and slid his phone in his pocket. Then he reached out and grabbed Jo's hand. "C'mon."

.

Alex Cole stepped out of the Lamborghini and waited impatiently as Aran skidded the van to a stop and Kelvin's vehicle drew up behind him.

Aran and his team jumped out of the van and drew their weapons.

Alex's eyes flashed back at Kelvin's vehicle. "Get a move on!" He shouted.

Kelvin and Lucas Immediately jumped out of the car.

"Where did they go?" Aran shouted.

Alex looked back through the tree line. "Mac's taken the car into the Park, but he won't get far. The woods are too dense. Now hurry up and get after them!" He commanded. "And remember what I said! Get rid of Mac, but I want Jo alive! Understand?!"

They nodded and charged through the trees after them.

.

Mac and Jo had been running for several minutes, when Mac saw an opening through the trees up ahead.

Jo's eyes widened when she noticed several guys running across the field toward them. "Mike?"

Mike looked ahead and caught sight of Mac. He drew his weapon and aimed at him.

Mac grasped her hand tighter and pulled her behind him, then he aimed his weapon at Mike and fired.

The bullet hit Mike's chest and he sunk to the ground.

Mac glanced quickly around him and pulled Jo back into the woodland. "This way."

They ducked as several gun shots resounded in the air and a bullet ricocheted off a tree trunk millimetres from Mac. Mac returned fire, but the bullet missed.

They took off at a sprint, jumping the fallen dead branches and manoeuvring around clumps of wild growth. A couple of times he looked back at her. She felt like a tethered balloon being tugged along, her breaths coming in rapid gasps. He must have realised she was struggling to keep up with him because he shortened his stride. "No!" She yanked out of his grip. "I'm . . . slowing you down. Just . . . go on without me. . ."

"No way." He reached out, grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him. They pushed through some particularly heavy undergrowth and Mac halted so abruptly she almost ploughed into the back of him.

"Careful. There's a shallow ditch here." He gripped a sapling and jumped down the low embankment, then he turned, grasped Jo around the waist and lowered her to the ground with easy strength.

Suddenly another explosive crack of gun fire went off and Jo's heart jumped so hard, it felt like it was going to come out of her chest.

Mac pushed her in front of him and fired several shots as they increased their speed weaving around some tall pine trees. Logically, only a few minutes could have passed, but it felt like they'd been running through the woods for a lifetime.

There was a shout behind them and a third shot rang out.

Mac released her hand and went down with a cry of pain, his head slamming onto the side of a tree stump as he fell. Jo skidded on the wet ground and spun back around.

"Mac!" She scrambled back and sunk to her knees beside him. Her heart froze and sick terror gripped at her heart as she stared down at him. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving.

Trembling violently, she yanked his jacket open and scanned his body for injuries. There was a nasty gash on his head, but to her relief there were no bullet wounds. She heard the voices coming closer and panic slammed through her chest. "Mac. Wake up. . . Mac please. . ." Tears filled her eyes and a sob escaped her. She forced back the emotions and gazed around her. Suddenly she saw some overgrown bushes several feet away. Quickly she got to her feet and pulled Mac toward them.

.

A minute later, Aran, Lucas and Carl sprinted around the pine trees and slowed to a stop.

Lucas scanned the woodland and caught sight of Jo. "There she is! She's running toward the river!" He shouted.

They spun around and sprinted after her.

.

The branches lashed at her face as she ran faster. She risked a look over her shoulder in time to see Aran leaping over a fallen tree and barrelling towards her. Terror tightened her chest until she could hardly breathe, the lack of oxygen sending spasms through her. She skidded behind a large Oak and fired her gun at him.

The bullet skimmed his shoulder and he yelled out in pain. It wasn't enough to take him down. It just made him more mad and he swore loudly and quickened his pace toward her.

She aimed her weapon at him and squeezed down on the trigger.

The blow came from behind, a solid tackle that knocked the breath from her body and sent her flying forward. Her gun flew out of her hand and she landed face down in stunned pain. His fingers bit brutally into her arms as he turned her onto her back.

Alex Cole stared furiously down at her. "I should have known you were never gonna let this go. You always were strong like me, not weak like your pathetic father."

Anger slammed Jo's chest. "Get your hands off me!" She tried to kick, but his knees clamped her legs together. Tried to wriggle away, but his hold was still too strong.

"I don't think so. You're coming with me."

Jo fought all the more harder when he brought out a dirty white cloth from his jacket. She smelt it immediately._ Chloroform._

"No!" She pulled an arm free and frantically clawed at his hands and his face.

Rage tore through Alex. "Stay Still!" He shouted. He grabbed her free arm, slammed her back against the hard ground and covered her mouth and nose with the Chloroform soaked rag.

She tried to fight him off her once again, but what little strength she had, started to sap away.

Her legs went limp first, followed by her body, her arms her neck. The Darkness settled in, easing the fear and sorrow, until finally she sunk into unconsciousness.

.

.

_**ANOTHER ACTION ANGSTY CHAPTER UP TUESDAY.**_

_**IS MAC GONNA BE OKAY? WILL DON FIND HIM OR WILL ALEX'S GANG TAKE HIM? WHAT DO YOU READERS THINK SHOULD HAPPEN? LET ME KNOW ;)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**HEY :)**_

_**JUST WANT TO SAY. . . I'M SORRY I'M NOT GETTING MY CHAPTERS UP MORE QUICKLY. I'VE STARTED WORKING MORE HOURS AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE LAST FORTNIGHT. **_

_**WHEN I FIRST STARTED WRITING STORIES ON THIS SITE I WAS ONLY WORKING ABOUT 10 HOURS A WEEK. NOW I'M WORKING 25 HOURS. LOL! **_

_**THIS IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF HOURS I'M WILLING TO WORK THO, SO I'LL STILL CARRY ON WRITING THE STORIES :)**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**OH . . . AND AS YOU CAN SEE I'VE HAD TO CHANGE THIS STORY TO AN 'M' RATING. THE FOLLOWING CJAPTERS WILL HAVE VIOLENT SCENES AND I'VE PUT THE 'F' WORD IN THIS CHAPTER WHICH I HARDLY EVER DO.**_

_**THANKU FOR YOUR REVIEWS :)**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

_Jo fought harder when Alex removed a dirty white cloth from his pocket. She'd smelt it immediately. 'Chloroform.'_

"_No!" She managed to get an arm free and frantically clawed at his hands and face._

_Rage tore through him. "Stay still!" He shouted. He grabbed her arm, slammed her back on the hard ground and covered her nose and mouth with the Chloroform soaked rag._

_She tried to fight him off once again, but what little strength she had, started to sap away._

_Her legs went limp first, followed by her body, her arms, her neck. Darkness settled in, easing the fear and panic and finally she sunk into unconsciousness._

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 9.**_

.

.

Aran stumbled up to Alex, clutching painfully at his shoulder. "The bitch shot me." he shouted.

"Stop being a damn baby. It's only a scratch." Alex stared back down at Jo with a look of savage satisfaction on his face. He grabbed his radio. "Carl! You got rid of that sonfabitch Taylor yet?!"

.

.

Carl scanned the perimeter and brought the radio toward him. "He's just . . . disappeared."

Alex glared furiously down at his radio. "Well find him! I want him dead! You hear me?!"

Suddenly Carl heard Police Sirens in the distance.

Alex heard them too. He cursed loudly. "Get out of there!" He shouted.

Carl muttered under his breath and whirled back around to the other Agents. "Move out Now!" he shouted.

.

.

Alex turned quickly to Aran. "Pick her up and follow me."

Aran swore inwardly. "What about my shoulder?"

"For God sake quit your moaning. I brought the car round."

Aran muttered under his breath. He leaned forward, grabbed hold of her and lifted her over his good shoulder. He cursed again as the hot, searing pain shot through his arm, straightened up and precariously followed Alex to the car.

.

.

Don was flooring it up Crotona Road, when he saw Carl Bertrum and several other Agents burst out from the tree line and jump into the black van up ahead.

He grabbed his radio. "Brandon! Steve! Stop that Van!" He steered to the side of the road and watched the two Police Vehicles tear off after them, then he hit the brakes and skidded to an abrupt stop behind the black car.

Drawing his weapon, he dived out of his vehicle and waited as Lindsay, Danny and the rest of the back up moved quickly across the road toward him.

He signalled to the Officers on his left. "I need you five to stay, just in case any more of these goons come back here! The rest of you are with me! Let's go!"

.

.

Mac slowly opened his eyes. He tried to move, but he felt a terrible, burning pain rise through his chest. "Ahh God. What the hell? . . ." His mind started to race and Immediately fear soared through his heart. "Jo!"

Ignoring the intense pain and dizziness, he started to pull himself out from behind the overgrown bush. "Jo!" He called louder. He cursed and rolled onto his back as a severe stabbing pain throbbed through his chest once again.

.

.

The team split up and Duncan's group were now searching the East side of the woodland. Duncan pushed through the dense trees and came to an abrupt stop, his eyes widening. "Mac!"

Along with the other Officer's, he raced across the rocky, uneven terrain and sunk to his knees beside him. He quickly grabbed the radio. "Don. I've found Mac. He's alive!"

.

.

"Thank God." Lindsay whispered breathlessly.

A wave of relief swept through Don. He brought the radio toward him. "Where are you?"

Duncan glanced quickly around. "I'm just South East of you, a couple of miles from the river. Call a bus. It looks like Mac's hit his head!" He chucked the radio on the grass beside him and started checking him for injuries. "It doesn't look like you've been shot. Are you in any pain?"

"I don't need . . . the Paramedics. I'm fine. We . . . have to find Jo." Mac tried to move forward, but ended up falling back onto the grass as the agonising pain clawed through him once again.

"It's his chest!" Will replied anxiously, from behind Duncan.

Quickly, Duncan checked him again. Suddenly he noticed it. Nasty purple bruising was covering his chest. "Wait a minute." He quickly looked back at the front of Mac's Jacket and saw a small hole in the material. He put his hand in the pocket and pulled out a Pen Knife.

Don, Danny and Lindsay came crashing through the trees toward the team. They ran up to Duncan and stared anxiously down at Mac.

"You okay?" Danny asked, his voice slightly shaky now.

"He's damn lucky to be alive." Duncan pointed to the rip in his jacket and held out the Pen Knife.

Lindsay took the knife from him and noticed a small dent in the handle. Her eyes flashed back at Mac's jacket. "A bullet ricocheted off this knife. My God. You could have been killed."

"Yea well . . . I wasn't," Mac stammered, "so for God sake help me . . . get up so we can go and find Jo."

Don pressed his phone to his ear. "Mac you need the paramedics to check you over first."

Mac glared fiercely at Don. "I'm telling you I'm fine." he said, staggering slightly as he got to his feet.

Lindsay reached out to steady him. "We'll go and find Jo. You need to stay here."

Mac ignored her and started moving unsteadily forward.

Don caught up to him and scanned the perimeter. "Do you know what direction she went in?"

Mac sighed inwardly. "No."

Danny noticed something on the narrow dirt path to his right. He started walking quickly toward it. "Over here," He pointed.

Mac barged passed Danny and crouched down next to several foot prints. "These prints belong to Jo. I'm sure of it."

Don got back on the radio and reorganised the teams. They managed to make out several more prints as they followed the path. They walked another half a mile, before Mac noticed something else up ahead. He quickened his pace toward it.

Danny caught up to him and grabbed his arm. "Wait." He pointed to the undergrowth, just a few feet in front of them. "See how those branches have been snapped? and this section of grass has been pressed flat . . ."

Lindsay and Don moved up beside them and looked down.

Don swallowed back the lump in his throat. "It looks like someone's been held down here."

Careful, not to disturb the area, Mac quickly pulled out a latex glove from his pocket and reached for the silver bracelet which had been caught up on a bramble bush.

Lindsay crouched down beside him. "That's Jo's isn't it?"

He said nothing for several seconds. He just went very still, the muscles of his Jaw working, his shoulders stiff, heavy with the weight of his perceived transgressions. He was damn good at laying the sins of the world on his shoulders.

"Yea . . . It is." He answered finally.

Lindsay noticed the guilt flicker in his eyes. "Mac. You did everything you could."

Mac shook his head and glanced back through the woodland. "Yeah. Everything but stop him from taking her. If anything happen's to her I . . ." He stopped abruptly and gazed back at her bracelet.

"She's going to be okay Mac. We _will _find her." Lindsay assured him.

.

.

Don grabbed his radio and brought it toward him. "Layton. Have you got anything yet?"

Layton and his team broke through the tree line and slammed to a stop at the edge of the narrow road. "Don. We're beyond the river. We've reached Magpie Lane."

Noel walked onto the road and turned back. Immediately he noticed some tyre markings several feet from his position. "Layton! Over here!"

"Hang on Don." Quickly, Layton and Noel moved up to the dirt track at the side of the road and gazed down at the tread patterns. He cursed inwardly and brought his radio back toward him. "We've found fresh tyre impressions at the side of the road . . . They _could_ be from a Lamborghini."

"Dammit!" Reluctantly, Mac handed Jo's bracelet to Lindsay, then pushed to his feet and took off at an unsteady run.

"Mac wait!" Don swore loudly as he watched him disappear behind the trees.

Danny and Lindsay bolted off after him.

Don gazed back at the four Officers. "Stay here and cordon off the area."

He turned quickly and took off after them.

.

.

Five minutes later Mac, Don, Danny and Lindsay had found Layton and his team.

A few minutes after that, Danny discovered a black button laying on the grass verge. It had come off Jo's coat.

Immediately, Don sent out an APB on Alex Cole and Police blocks were being set up within a ten mile radius. He was now on the phone to Gary Winters who'd just turned up and joined the other Officers at the far side of the park.

Gary glanced back along the road. "Don. We've managed to round up Gareth Southgate, Cameron Webb, Kelvin Price and Nigel Booth. We've found Mike Dalton dead in the woods. There's no sign of the others and . . . Brandon and Steve lost the Van," he sighed.

Don released a frustrated breath. "Well that's just great." He muttered sarcastically.

Clutching at his chest, Mac jumped unsteadily out of the ambulance.

One of the paramedics followed after him. "Mac. I really think it will be a good idea to get you checked out at the hospital."

Mac spun around and fixed him with a hard glare. "I'm not going to the damn hospital!"

"I'll call you back." Don hung up and rolled his eyes at Mac as he walked toward him. "What are you doing?"

Mac ignored his question. "What's the update?"

Don sighed inwardly. "Well the good news is, five Agents have been arrested. Unfortunately, we've lost Carl Bertrum, Lucas Richardson, Aran Barnes and of course . . . Alex and Jo." Don answered quietly.

Mac swore under his breath and kicked at the rotten fencing. He gripped his chest as the intense pain shot through him.

Don laid a hand on Mac's shoulder. "Calm down okay? We'll find her."

Mac breathed in, gave himself a couple of seconds, then glanced back at Danny and Lindsay. They already had their kits open and were searching for evidence at the side of the road. "I need to get the rest of the team down here."

Don's phone started ringing in his pocket. He brought it to his ear. "Flack here."

" . . . . . . "

"Gezuz. Is he all right?" he asked, gripping the phone tighter in his hand.

" . . . . . . "

"Crap." Don closed his eyes and dragged a hand through his hair. He sighed heavily. "Okay. Keep me updated with his condition. He hung up and glanced anxiously back at Mac. "Russ has just been found in his car down an alley off 2nd Avenue. He's been shot. He's alive, but barely. He's being transported to St Thomas Hospital as we speak."

Mac sunk back against the tree trunk and rubbed at his forehead. "My God." he whispered.

"They haven't found Steven Evans or Ben Anderson yet, and several other agents are also missing."

Mac brought out his phone and pressed speed dial. "Adam. I need you and Sheldon to come to Crotona Park. We have . . . a Crime Scene."

Adam stood in the conference room and stared nervously across at the TV Screen. "Mac. A news bulletin's just coming in."He grasped his phone tighter in his hand. "News reporters have just turned up at your location. What's going on up there?"

Mac turned quickly and saw several Police Cars speeding down the road toward them. Then he noticed the three News Van's following close behind. He cursed inwardly. "Adam. I'll explain everything when you get here." He hung up and stepped in front of the Crime Scene, as the vehicle's screeched to a stop and the noise and chaos started around him.

.

.

Consciousness slowly returned for Jo. The first thing she became aware of was the pain hammering in the back of her skull.

She rolled onto her side and blinked several times in an attempt to clear her vision.

She could smell the dust, the vague sense of dampness. Could feel the cold.

_A basement?_

Slowly she opened her eyes. It was so dark, she could hardly see a thing.

She eased herself into a sitting position, but ended up sinking backwards and hitting the hard wall behind her, as the nausea rose in her stomach.

She swallowed back the bile in her throat and tried to pull her mind together. _What happened?_

She inhaled sharply as her memory slowly returned.

_Mac!_

She forced herself to her feet and spent the next few minutes stumbling around, searching the small, dark basement for him.

She was relieved to discover he wasn't with her and hoped to God, that meant Don found him before Alex's gang had.

She was torn from her thoughts by a trap door being unlocked above her.

She was desperate to make a run for it, but it was impossible to find a means of escape in the darkness.

The door was opened and she staggered back and shut her eyes tightly, the sharp stabbing pain clawing through her skull as the blinding light descended into the basement.

Alex Cole along with Nolan Garrett and Carl Bertrum descended the steps and when Alex reached the bottom, he turned toward her and shot her a steely glare. "Hey Jo."

She stared defiantly back at him and stayed silent.

They started to walk toward her, but she stood her ground and refused to move. Refused to show any fear. "Where am I? Why have you brought me here?"

He circled around her, his smile hard, his eyes bright. "Isn't it about time me and you got to know each other? We are family after all."

She kept her eyes steady on his. "I don't think so."

Rage slammed his chest. He turned to Nolan and Ed and nodded.

They strode towards her.

She ducked, eluding their grasp and tried to run from them, but suddenly her legs felt like jelly and the steps leading toward the trap door felt like a mile away.

Alex let out a roar. "Get her!" He screamed.

Ed tackled her from behind. She hit the floor hard and cried out as the pain swept through her like fire. She ignored it as best she could and tried to kick free of him, but soon both Ed and Nolan were lifting her up off the ground. She knew she didn't have a chance against both of them. They dragged her back across the room and slammed her up against the wall.

Alex wrapped a fist in her hair and jerked her forwards. "Some killers are born Jo. Some are made. And sometimes the origin of desire for homicide is lost in the tangle of roots that make an ugly childhood and a dangerous youth, so that no one may ever know if the urge was inbred or induced. It took me sometime to understand, but now I know I fall into the first category. I have spent many years studying my compulsion and I embraced the truth," He grabbed her tighter, as the fury swept through him. "but _you_ took everything from me! _You_ ruined it all! And now you will pay dearly!"

He kicked her hard, too immersed in his ranting to hear her cries of pain. His boot connected with her hip and she fell to the ground.

He crouched down beside her. "Where's the Hard Drive?!"

She winced in pain and met his fierce, dark gaze. "The . . . FBI . . . have it now." she stammered.

He swore loudly and pinned her to the ground. "THE BOX? TELL ME WHERE IT IS?!"

Why did he want the box? All she'd found in it was the DNA record. She glared defiantly up at him. "They . . . have that too . . . I guess that makes you a loser Alex."

"YOU BITCH! YOU BITCH!"

Nolan and Ed stood back and watched as Alex wrapped his hands around her throat.

She fought frantically, clawing at his hands as his screams started to fade from her head. Alex continued to squeeze for seconds that seemed like an eternity, then he slammed her head down on the floor and the blood roared back up to her brain.

"You think you're better than everyone!" He shouted furiously. "You think I'm nothing!"

Jo sucked in the oxygen she so desperately needed.

She swallowed back the fear and gave him a long, venomous stare. "I . . . know you . . . raped my mother. . . That makes you nothing."

He snarled down at her. "That makes me evils fucking Angel!" He drew back his fist and slammed it in her face.

Despite her bravado, tears stung her eyes and escaped. She clenched her jaw shut to keep from screaming and tried to roll away.

He gripped her arm tightly and pulled her back to face him.

A leering, evil look flickered in his eyes, a maddening look that made her heart thunder.

"I'm gonna enjoy making you suffer Jo." he spat bitterly. "And soon enough, you're gonna be begging me to kill you."

.

.

With grim faces, Adam and Sheldon walked towards Lindsay and Danny.

Danny glanced up at them and sighed inwardly. "I take it Mac's filled you in?"

Sheldon released a long, heavy breath."Yea."

Lindsay glanced across at Adam as he walked to the edge of the verge and stared up the road, the anger evident in his features.

"So," Sheldon added when the silence thickened around them. "Adam and I are gonna search the woods."

Lindsay tore her eyes from Adam and swallowed back the emotions. "We'll come find you, when we've finished here."

"Sure." Sheldon replied quietly.

Adam whirled back around. He marched passed the three of them and disappeared back into the woods without uttering a word.

Sheldon turned back to Danny and met his concerned gaze.

"Keep an eye on him okay?"

"I will." Sheldon replied.

Lindsay watched Sheldon disappear through the trees and released a long, weary breath. "This is the worst day ever."

Danny glanced back at the ground and took a deep breath. "I couldn't agree with you more."

Suddenly Lindsay caught sight of what looked like a small metal object, lying several feet away. She reached across the grass and picked it up.

Danny looked over her shoulder and his eyes widened. "My God. You've found a key."

A faint smile appeared on her face. "Yes I have."

.

.

Martin Howell, the head of Violent Crimes Division hung up and chucked his phone back on the desk.

He rubbed at his forehead, pushed out a long, weary breath and sank back into his chair.

He'd just been on the phone to a Surgeon at St Thomas Hospital. The bullet had damaged a major Artery, millimetres from Russ's heart. He was currently in intensive surgery and things weren't going too well at the moment. The surgeon had told Martin there was around a forty percent chance, Russ was going to survive this.

Martin glanced across at the box Jo had found at Colin Smith's apartment, and guilt tore through his heart.

Why the hell hadn't he just checked into Alex Cole a little more thoroughly in 2007?

Maybe if he'd done that, Cole would be in a damn Jail Cell, Instead of getting away with committing despicable acts, for the last five years, Russ wouldn't be fighting for his life in a damn hospital right now and Jo would be safe from that monster. . . And where the hell was Kye Simmonds, Ben Anderson and Steven Evans?

Martin glanced out of his office and watched several Agents walk by.

He could trust no one in this building any more. He hadn't seen Nolan Garrett, Ed Hughes, Sid Bryans or Matt Osbourne for the last 24 hours. Those bastards had got nervous and had done a runner, because the truth was, they _had _covered for Cole that night back in 2007. My God. Those four been working for Alex Cole all these years and the very thought, there could be more Rogue Agents walking around this Department right now, made Martin sick to his stomach. He leaned forward in his seat, and in a fit of rage, slammed his fist into the desk. He released a long, pent up breath and reigned in his temper. _Just hang on Jo. . . just . . . hang on . . . _

Martin swallowed back his emotions and stared across at the box for several seconds.

He frowned slightly, reached forward and slid it towards him.

He opened the lid, removed the DNA Record and took a closer look inside.

Suddenly he noticed, that part of the velvet lining had been stitched up around the back. He quickly took a pair of scissors from his desk and cut the fabric, then dropped them quickly and dug his fingers beneath the material.

He pulled out a folded scrap of paper and unfolded it. His frown deepened, as he gazed down at a set of coordinates. "A Location." He whispered.

.

.

_**I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I'M SORRY TO YOU GUYS THAT WANTED MAC TAKEN ALONG WITH JO. BELIEVE YOU ME! COLE WILL CATCH UP WITH MAC AND HE'LL BE IN A WORLD OF HURT VERY SOON. (My God. That sounds soooo nasty. lol)**_

"Stay the hell away from me."


	10. Chapter 10

_**HEY GUYS ;)**_

_**SO HERE'S ANOTHER ACTION CHAPTER.**_

_**HOPE YOU LIKE IT.**_

_**PLEASE R&R :)**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of previous chapter.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_Martin stared back at the box for several seconds. He frowned, leaned forward and slid it towards him._

_He opened the lid, removed the DNA Record and took a closer look inside._

_Suddenly he noticed that part of the velvet lining had been stitched up around the back. He quickly took a pair of scissors from his desk and cut the fabric, then he dropped the scissors and dug his fingers beneath the material._

_He pulled out a scrap of paper. His frown deepened as he gazed down at a set of coordinates. "A location." He whispered._

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 10.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

Gull watched Martin Howell as he walked out of his Office with the box. He followed him at a safe distance and hung back as Martin went into one of the labs.

Gull waited there a couple of minutes, before Martin appeared again. He cursed inwardly. The sonofabitch had left the box in the damn lab.

Gull watched him carry on up the corridor and disappear around the corner. He shifted his eyes around the Department. At least It was quiet. He took a deep, steady breath, then moved quickly toward the lab. He peered through the glass and noticed that only One Lab Technician was inside, Rowan Andrews. He smiled inwardly. _This is_ _gonna be a piece of cake!_

She looked up and smiled as he entered. "Hey Gull. I thought you were going off for lunch?"

He smiled back. "I'm on my way." He moved around the desk toward her and glanced across at the box. "I've just ran into Martin." He pulled out some latex gloves and whipped them on. "He wants me to check the box. He thinks there's something he might have missed." He reached across the work top.

Rowan frowned up at him.

Gull reached for the box.

She whisked it away. "Well he's just ordered me not to let any one near this box for now."

For God Sake. He had no time for this. He shifted his eyes back into the corridor. It was clear.

In a flash of movement, he grabbed Rowan, pulled out a thin blade from his Jacket and stabbed it into her neck to the hilt just above her collarbone. He muffled her screams with his hand, gave it a few seconds and released her. She sunk motionless to the floor.

Quickly he grabbed the coordinates from the box. He got to his feet and entered them onto the grid. The map appeared instantly and zoomed in on the location. A wicked smile spread across his face. "Now we can wrap this up and finally get the hell out of this bloody City."

.

.

Ed walked into the large Dining room and looked across at Aran, Nolan, Sid and Carl. They were all sitting around the table getting ready for another round of Poker. "Hey." He started toward them. "I'm in. . ."

Suddenly Alex Cole tore through the door behind Ed and nearly knocked him off his feet. All eyes flashed to him.

"Gull's got to the box! And I was right! There was more than that DNA Record in it! Cain Jackson lied to us. He found the Ceramic Vase in Washington and had it transported to New York City. That Sonofabitch hid it from us!"

Nolan jumped to his feet. "Where is it?"

"The Paul Kasmin Gallery, 293, 10th Avenue." For the last eight months they'd gone searching around every bloody Museum in the city, and it had been sitting in a damn Art Gallery in 10th Avenue, all this fucking time. He released a long, pent up breath and stared sternly at them."Well don't just sit there! Go and get it!"

.

.

Martin Howell stood Impatiently in the Assistant Directors office, trying his best to hold back his temper. "Just let me take the an NYPD back up team to the location."

The Assistant Director released a long, pent up breath. "Look Martin. I have a list of crooked Agents right here." he said, grabbing the sheet of paper from his desk. "and nearly half the department are hunting them down as we speak. Take Hodge's team. They're clean."

Martin muttered under his breath and raised his voice at him. "How can we be sure any Agent is clean in this damn place!"

The Assistant Director rose to his feet and fixed him with a steely glare. "Get down there with Hodge's team now, or I'll take you off this case and organise for someone else to head this up! Got it?!"

Howell cursed inwardly. "Yes sir." He turned on his heels and marched out of his office, slamming the door behind him.

He reigned in his anger and tried to think. _Okay. Maybe Hodges I can trust. He's a good guy._ _Finnigan too. . . maybe Randall?_

On his way back up the corridor he was torn from his thoughts by loud shouts coming from the lab. He took off into a run and skidded to a stop outside the lab.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw the horrific scene before him. Tom leaning over Rowan, as she lay on the floor, so still, so pale. Her throat ripped open as the blood pooled around her body.

Tom looked up at him in stunned shock. "She's . . . dead."

Howell stood there for a long moment. It all seemed so distorted, surreal. He swallowed into a dry throat and tore his eyes from Rowan's body.

Forcing himself to focus he moved unsteadily to the box, now lying on the floor several feet from her. The lid was already wide open. He grabbed the box and looked inside.

His heart plummeted. The coordinates and the small photo were gone.

Martin didn't hang around. He pushed to his feet and dashed out of the lab and as he headed up the corridor towards one of the main exits, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and punched in Don's number.

.

.

Five minutes later, Don was racing through the trees after Mac gripping the phone tightly in his hand. "I need you to organise as much back up as you can. When they turn up we don't know how many of them there will be, so keep you're heads up. Address is 293 10th Avenue."

" . . . . . . "

Don looked up and saw Mac dive into his car. _Dammit! _"Mac wait!" He sprinted toward the Avalanche as Mac reversed it out from behind a set of trees.

Mac slammed his foot on the accelerator and skidded up the bank toward the road. A split second later, the passenger door flung open and Don dived in next to him.

Mac cursed inwardly. "Don. Your car's parked on Crotona Road remember?"

Don muttering a curse and quickly slammed the car door shut behind him. "I'm not letting you out of my sight for a second." He flashed Mac a _'Don't you dare mess with me,'_ look, then pressed his phone back to his ear. "Yea, I'm here."

" . . . . . . "

"Martin Howell found some coordinates and a photo in the box."

" . . . . . . "

"He said it's a vase, Chinese in origin and looks like it's worth a whole ton of money."

" . . . . . . "

"Yea. We'll meet you there. Be careful." Don hung up and pushed out a long, pent up breath. "This is turning into one hell of a day."

Mac stayed silent and pushed his foot down on the gas pedal.

Don looked back out the front windscreen. His eyes widened as Mac veered the vehicle off the road and onto the field to their left. "What the hell are you doing now!"

"Taking a short cut."

Don cursed under his breath. "Mac there's a damn ditch up ahead!"

"Yea. We're jumping that."

"Jesus Christ." Don pushed back in his seat. "Short cut's good, but plunging to our deaths? Not so much."

Mac floored it as they got closer. "No problem. We'll make it."

Several seconds later Mac's vehicle had left the ground and was flying through the air. Don had his eye's squeezed tightly shut as his life flashed before his eyes and what was only a couple of seconds felt like forever. Finally the car hit the ground, bounced several times and shuddered. Don's eyes flew open. He quickly turned and gazed out the rear window.

"I told you we'd make it. We've just cut five minutes off our journey." Mac said.

That ditch had to have been at least twenty five metres wide and fifty metres deep. Don released a long, shaky breath and turned back to the front of the car. "Okay . . . that's good."

.

.

Gull and four other Agents screeched to a stop around the back street, Immediately jumped out of the van and stormed the building.

Another easy job, Gull thought as he aimed and fired at the last of the half dozen people who had been inside. He turned back to the others. "Now let's hurry up and search this place! We haven't got much time!"

Several Minutes later Darren was calling Gull's name from the back room. Gull quickened his pace down the stairs and hurried towards him. "You have it?"

Darren sighed heavily. "No." He pointed at the wooden crate. "Someone else has got to it first."

"What?" Gull pushed passed him and stared into the empty crate. He swore loudly and started pacing around the room. "Well it's not the damn FBI, NYPD or any other Law Enforcement Agency or they'd have this place cordoned off right now." He turned back to Darren. "So who the hell has it?"

"Shit!" Darren got to his feet and glanced nervously back at Gull. "One of the guys who worked here might have known, but we went and shot them all."

"Drop your Weapon's and hands in the air where I can see them!"

Gull and Darren whirled around and aimed their gun at him.

"I'm having one hell of a day and I wont hesitate to shoot the both of you. So Do It Now!" Mac shouted furiously.

Don charged into the room with Gary Winters, Martin Howell and a whole team of Officers. He swore under his breath and moved quickly in front of Mac. "Weapons down Now!"

Gull gave Don a hard, pissed off glare and dropped his gun on the floor. Darren followed his lead and a couple of seconds later Martin Howell and several other Officers had them on the floor and handcuffed.

Martin released a long, weary breath and looked back at Gary. "We found two more. Your guys have them in the police van."

"Good." Gary shot a disgusted gaze back at Gulliver and Darren. "Get these Scum bags out of here."

Suddenly, Mac bolted passed Don. He pushed Martin aside and slammed Gulliver to the ground. The rage ignited through him like a fireball as he pressed his gun to Gull's chest. "Where's Jo?!"

A split second later, Don and Martin were at his side.

Don slowly circled around him, his heart now pounding loudly in his chest. "Mac stop . . ."

He shoved him to the side and started to squeeze down on the trigger. "Tell me where she is! Now!"

Gull's eyes widened in fear. "Okay. . . Okay she's in Ridgefield, It's . . . a large house at the end of Bell Drive, next to Overpeck Creek."

.

.

Aran grabbed the binoculars from the dashboard as they drew up around the back of the warehouse. He peered across the road at the gallery. "Crap! The NYPD are here and I can see Gull's vehicle around the side of the building. "They must have them!"

Nolan swore loudly. "We've got to get out of here!"

Carl pushed his foot back on the gas pedal and accelerated up the road. "Alex is gonna be mighty pissed."

Sid glanced out the back of the car and caught sight of Mac and Don bolting out of the gallery with Martin Howell and four more Police Officers close behind. He cursed as he watched them dive into their vehicle's and speed off down 10th Avenue. He grabbed his phone from his suit jacket and pressed speed dial. "We need to alert Alex."

.

.

Jo staggered back against the wall as the trap door unlocked above her. She tried not to let the fear show as Alex came bounding down the steps toward her.

"Where did you find it!" he roared.

She tried to get away, but he moved too fast and grabbed her arm, yanking her back to him.

"I don't know what your . . ."

He grabbed her Jaw and stared fiercely at her. "The box! Tell me where you found it?!"

She glared back at him and said nothing.

He pulled out his gun and aimed it at her head. "Tell me! Or I'll kill you!"

"I'll never tell you." she answered quietly.

He started to squeeze down on the trigger. Jo closed her eyes, waiting for the shot to come, holding back the tears as her mind began to relive the amazing night she had spent with Mac. _I love you Mac . . . I love you so much. _

She was torn from her thoughts by the pressure of the gun leaving her forehead. She opened her eyes and breathed out in relief as Alex pushed the gun back into his pocket. Unfortunately, It was short lived.

Her breath caught in her throat when he lunged at her and slammed her against the wall, his eyes staring murderously into hers. She bit down on her lower lip as the pain shot through her body, but she didn't take her eyes off him for a second.

"I think I'll keep you alive for now, but you _will _tell me." he snarled menacingly at her. "Of that I am sure." He grabbed her arm again and started to pull her towards the steps.

She tried to yank herself free, but his fingers bit into her and she cried out in pain.

"Don't you dare fight me Jo!"

"Where are you taking me?"

He whirled her around and shoved her up the steps. "Just shut up and move!"

She quickly glanced up at the trap door, hoping to make a run for it, but saw Matt, Ed, Carlton and Lucas waiting at the top. "Great." she muttered under her breath and tried to stay calm as she climbed the steps toward them.

She slowed to a stop on the top step and stared across at them. "Why are you doing this? You're all crazy joining this Idiot." She whispered.

"I said hurry up!" Alex pushed her through the door and she slammed into Lucas. He pulled her towards him and leered down at her. "I like this Job." he snarled. He looked across at Alex as he stepped through the door. "I'll take her boss, until you get your breath back."

Alex glared at her and pushed passed Lucas. "You're welcome to her. She's driving me crazy." he grumbled.

Lucas grinned back at her menacingly. "And now I get to keep an eye on you. Nice."

She narrowed her eyes at him and tried to get free of his grip. "Get away from me."

"I don't think so." He growled. He yanked her forward as they followed Alex out of the kitchen.

Jo heard the sound of rotor blades as they moved toward the front of the house. She came to an abrupt stop. _Oh God. No._ Alex opened the front door and Lucas pushed her outside. Her eyes widened when she saw the two choppers waiting for them on a large expanse of lawn thirty metres away. Her eyes flashed across at Alex. "I'm not going on a chopper!"

He ignored her and continued to walk quickly up the path towards them.

Jo counted down from 3, then she shoved Lucas and Ed out of the way and ran.

She'd managed to get some distance from them, but suddenly a sharp, agonising pain tore through her leg, slowing her down considerably. A couple of seconds was all it took before Lucas had caught up to her.

He grabbed her from behind and lifted her off the ground. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"No! Let me go!" She screamed.

"Shut up Jo!" He tightened his grip around her waist and dragged her back to the chopper kicking and screaming.

.

.

Mac cranked the steering wheel hard to the right. The Avalanche skidded into Bell Drive on two tyres as he buried the gas pedal. Behind him and Don, Martin Howell followed and a half dozen units joined the parade a block or two behind them. Mac swore loudly and stood on the brakes, nearly crashing into the BMW in front of him. He swerved around the car and floored it to the end of the road.

Don saw a large drive up ahead. "Mac slow down. It must be up there!" he pointed.

Mac turned the wheel sharply, slammed through the gates and accelerated up the long narrow drive.

Don's eyes widened when he saw a massive house in front of him. "Jesus. Look at this place."

Mac skidded to a stop and bolted out of the car.

Don swore loudly. "Mac. Stop!" He dived out of the car and chased after him, finally catching up with him at the front door. He yanked him back and stared incredulously at him. "Are you crazy? We don't know how many are inside."

Mac yanked free of Don's grip and listened at the door. "I can't hear anything."

"It's a big house. They're probably at the back, or upstairs."

"Okay. So we go in this way. Ready?"

Don released a long, frustrated breath. "We're waiting for back up Mac."

"They're nearly here." Mac reared back and slammed into the door.

Don swore under his breath. "Okay. 3, 2, 1 now." They slammed into the door together and it flew open.

They entered the house low, in firing stance, arms extended directly ahead of them, their weapons gripped in both hands.

Mac's laboured breath and the pumping like pistons of his blood through his ears were the only sounds he heard as he inched along the hallway to the door on his left.

Don heard footsteps behind him and looked back. Martin signalled to Don that he was going to check upstairs. Don nodded back at him, then continued along the hallway close behind Mac.

They checked several rooms, before it suddenly began to dawn on Mac that there was no one here. He paused and pressed his back against the wall, his heart sinking to his stomach. He turned to Don. "Gulliver's given us a bogus address or we're too late."

They searched the house for another five minutes before One of the Officer's noticed the trap door in the kitchen. "Over here!" He shouted.

Mac bolted into the room and sank to his knees. "Get out of the Way!"

The Officer moved away quickly and Mac pulled open the trap door. "You got a flash light?"

The Officer pulled one out of his pocket and handed it to him.

He grabbed it, threw his legs over the side and jumped down onto the steps. The sweat beaded the back of his neck and fear fed the icy chill shivering down his spine. "Jo!" _She's not down here. . . She's not dead . . . She's_ _not dead . . . _He echoed the words again and again, in an attempt to drive the horrific images from his mind, as he descended the steps into the darkness.

Breathing hard, he stepped off the bottom step and shone the flash light into the basement.

It was empty.

Something caught his eye. He moved towards it, shakily grabbed a glove from his pocket and picked it up. His heart stalled in his chest as he stared down at it. It was a piece of Jo's shirt.

Mac dragged a shaking hand through his hair and shone the flashlight around the room. He froze Instantly and terror radiated from his body in undulated waves. "No!" He stumbled to the edge of the room and scanned the area. _Blood . . . My God . . . It's Blood._

_._

_._

_**SORRY GUYS. I'VE RUN OUT OF TIME SO I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET ANYMORE IN THIS CHAPTER.**_

_**NEXT CHAPTER IS A CHANGE OF PACE. I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ENOUGH SCENES ON THE CSI TEAM BACK AT THE DEPARTMENT ANALYSING THE EVIDENCE AND I WILL BE WRITING ABOUT MORE ABOUT HOW THEY ARE FEELING.**_

_**AND WE'LL FIND OUT WHO HAS THE VASE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY FIGURED IT OUT.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**HEY THERE GUYS :)**_

_**I LOVED WRITING THIS CHAPTER. THIS IS A LONG ONE FOR ME- IT'S 5000 WORDS LONG. LET'S HOPE YOU ALL LIKE READING IT. ;)**_

_**AND THANKU SO MUCH FOR THOSE WHO READ AND REVIEW MY STORY. ;)**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_. _

_The sweat beaded the back of Mac's neck and fear fed the Icy chill shivering down his spine. _

_'She's not_ _dead down here!. . . She's not dead. . . she's not dead.' He echoed the words again and again in his head in an attempt to chase the horrific images from his mind, as he descended the steps into the darkness._

_Breathing hard he reached the bottom and shone the flashlight into the basement._

_It was empty._

_Suddenly, something caught his eye. He moved quickly towards it, shakily pulled out a latex glove and picked it up. His heart stalled in his chest. It was a piece of material off Jo's shirt._

_Mac dragged a shaking hand through his hair and shone the flashlight around the room once again._

_He froze instantly and terror radiated through him in undulated waves. "No!" He stumbled to the edge of the room and looked closer. 'Blood. . . My God. . . It's blood.'_

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 11.**_

.

.

It had been a long, hard day.

Adam and Sheldon were left back in Crotona Park collecting the rest of the evidence, Whilst Danny and Lindsay headed over to Ridgefield to help Mac.

Mac called in extra help, but there was such a large expanse of area to cover, it took them until late evening before they finally finished up in both locations. They didn't make it back to the CSI Department until after dark.

They were all exhausted but refused to go home. Danny and Lindsay found a babysitter to stay and take care of Lucy, and Sheldon called to cancel his night out with Camille.

Mac had been processing the evidence for several hours before he finally gave into Lindsay's pleas and left the lab for a break.

He came to an abrupt stop down the corridor when he glanced down at his watch. _Crap! It's 02:00 already?_ He was dead on his feet and his ribs hurt like hell, but the thought of Jo being alone, scared, injured or worse brought fear clawing through his heart once again. _My God. I can't rest until_ _I've found her. _He quickened his pace passed the staff room and headed to his office instead.

.

.

Layton walked out of the apartment building and jogged across the road to Don. "The neighbors are saying they haven't seen him. Silvia Pemberton who lives in 3a, told me Colin's hardly been here in the last month and Larry Greeves who lives nextdoor, says Colin's so quiet he hardly notices him when he _is_ here. Apparently all seven residents haven't seen him for a couple of days."

"So where the hell is he then?!" Don shouted angrily. _Dammit!_ He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Okay. Layton, I need you and your team to head back to the station and find out everything you can on this Colin Smith. We need a fresh lead."

"We're on it. We'll find him Don."

He sighed heavily. "Yea."

As Don watched Layton and the team head back to their cars, his phone started ringing in his Jacket pocket. He brought it out and pressed it to his ear. "Flack here."

"You got any information back from A.T.C yet?" Mac asked urgently.

Don pushed out a heavy breath and started pacing. "No. The Security Tracking Center checked the radar. There were no signs of choppers going up in that area this afternoon."

"Dammit! They were flying below the radar."

"Yea they were."

Mac tightened his grip on his phone. "What about the A.D. S. B. System. That should have picked them up right?"

"The system went down around 14:00 Mac."

He closed his eyes and collapsed into the seat behind him. "My God. Alex Cole disabled the satellite system?"

"It seems that way." Don sighed. "Look Mac. We're round Colin Smith's apartment. Everything's here. His clothes, toothbrush etc, but we've been asking around and I don't think he's been back since you dragged him here looking for the box the other day. Do you have any idea where he could be?"

"Don. I told you already. I don't know, but your wasting your time over there. He's not gonna return to . . ." Mac stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Colin standing in his doorway.

Don frowned down at his phone. "Mac. You still there?"

Grim faced, Colin walked into Mac's Office and dumped a black leather holdall on his desk. "I thought if I found it, Jo would stop searching and she would be safe. I guess I was too late." He turned around and started to head back out of his office.

Mac jumped to his feet and grabbed his gun from the drawer.

Don started to walk back to his car, the unease now crawling up his spine. "Mac. You okay? . . . Mac!"

Mac raised his voice own the phone. "Colin Smith! I'll shoot you in the arm if you take another step! You're not getting away from me this time!"

_Crap! _Don whirled around and glanced quickly across the road. "Martin! Colin's turned up at the CSI Department! Mac's got him!" He shouted.

Martin Howell spun around and stared wide eyed at Don who was now diving into his car. Martin swore under his breath and started running towards his own vehicle.

.

.

Mac circled his desk, moved cautiously around Colin and shut his door, not taking his eyes off him for a second. "Sit down now!"

Colin glared at Mac, then moving to the chair and slumped down into it.

Mac stayed where he was and continued to stare furiously across at him. "What the hell are you playing at?!"

"I'm trying to help!"

"Help? Don't you think we've got enough on our hands finding Alex Cole without having to chase after your scrawny ass?!"

Colin jumped to his feet. "Hey. You should be thanking me! Gulliver and those other bastards would have it by now, if I hadn't have . . ."

"Wait. . . You have the vase?"

Colin leaned back in the chair and and exhaled sharply. "It's in the bag."

"For God sake Colin." Mac moved quickly to the desk, yanked on a pair of latex gloves and unzipped the holdall. When he looked inside his breath stalled in his throat. _This can't be . . ._ He carefully reached in, brought the vase out of the bag and set it on the table. For several seconds he just stared across at it, totally gob smacked. Finally he managed to tear his eyes from the vase and slowly turned back to Colin. "You better start talking, because right now I have a gun in my hand and I'm rapidly losing my patience with you."

Colin released a long, weary breath. "Okay. This is what I know. The vase belonged to James Carter."

Mac's eyes widened as he stared back at the vase. He still couldn't get over the fact that something so valuable was sitting on his desk. "Jo's father was a rich man."

"Jo's grandfather was a rich man. When he died, he left all his wealth to James.

"Alex got nothing?"

"Not a penny. I don't know exactly what this vase is worth but it looks pretty pricey."

Mac rolled his eyes. "Colin. You've been carrying around a piece of Chinese pottery from the Meiyintang Collection."

"The Meiyintang Collection?" Slowly he rose out of the chair and stared at the vase in disbelief. "My God." he whispered shakily. "Isn't that worth like. . ."

"That vase sitting there is worth something around $2 Million!" Mac interrupted exasperatedly.

Colin collapsed back in the seat. "Oh God. No wonder Alex is going crazy trying to get it back."

Mac crossed his arms and leaned back against his desk. "So Alex Cole stole the vase from his brother."

"Yes, but I didn't know it was worth this much."

"How do you know all this?"

Colin looked away. "I just . . . know."

"How do you know Colin!"

Colin jumped out of his seat. "You can't hold me here." He started for the door.

Mac circled around his desk and slammed Colin up against the glass panelling. "TELL ME NOW!"

"I'm a hacker Okay! I can. . . break into any security network and I'm damn good at it!"

"Keep going!" Mac growled.

"I . . . discovered a case file when I was 19. It had information about a robbery that happened at James Carter's home in 1963. I worked out the dates. I think James might have got married to Jo's mother that year."

Mac released him and took a step back. "What year did you find this case file?"

"1981."

"1981?"

"Yea." Colin sighed heavily. "It was a long time ago."

Mac took a deep, steady breath. "What did you find out?"

"James Carter lost everything, including that vase sitting on your desk. The FEDS didn't discover who committed the crime, but obviously it had to be Alex Cole. . . I . . . got out of my Apartment before they could catch me." Colin met Mac's intense gaze. "I covered my tracks well. Lay low for a couple of weeks, then tried to hack the system again, but the case file was gone."

"What do you mean gone?"

"It had disappeared Mac. Someone had got rid of the file."

Mac frowned down at him when he saw the raw emotions flickering in Colin's eyes. "I know when someone's holding back secrets. I'm a detective. You've seen the news. You know Jo's life is in danger right?"

Colin swallowed hard and looked away.

"I know you care about her, but you've gone to an awful lot of trouble to help her and Seth . . ."

"The only way I was helping Jo and Seth was by_ not_ telling them a damn thing." Colin glanced away. "I couldn't tell Jo what I'd discovered. It would break her heart."

"So, she knows nothing about the robbery?" Mac asked incredulously.

"If I've got the dates right, She was born in May 1965. Two years after this happened right?"

Mac sighed heavily and rubbed at his forehead. "Yea. That's right. . . So getting back to the question. Why are you so focused on hunting Alex Cole down?"

Colin blinked back the tears and took a deep, unsteady breath. "Alex didn't just rape Jo's mother . . ."

Mac's heart froze in his chest. "What?"

Slowly he met Mac's gaze. "Alex raped a lot of women . . . Miranda Baxter was one of them . . . She had a son. . . She named him . . . Colin Baxter."

Mac's eyes widened. "You're . . . Colin Baxter."

"Yea."

Does Jo know?"

Colin stared across at Mac and shook his head.

_God. I can't believe what i'm hearing here._ Mac dragged an unsteady hand through his hair and started pacing around his office.

Colin stared off into space as the memories flashed through his mind. "I grew up in a run down apartment in Harper Street, Washington. When I was twelve my Aunt came by the apartment. My mother was comatosed on the sofa as she always was that time of day, completely drunk."

Mac slowed to a stop and turned back to him.

"My Aunt was so mad, she ranted that it was my mother's fault that she was lying there so weak, stupid, half dead. Then she started shouting at her. She said 'If you hadn't of chosen to live on the streets as a prostitute you would never have met that bastard Alex Cole and ended up in this mess now.' Colin gazed back at Mac. It was something along those lines anyway. Colin swallowed back the grief and continued. "I asked her who Alex Cole was? She went very quiet, then walked out leaving me alone. I never saw her again. A couple of months later, my mother died of a drug overdose. My Aunt had disappeared and there was no one else to take care of me, so I was put in foster care. I never forgot what my Aunt blurted out that day. Two years later I escaped from the foster home and set out finding Alex Cole, hoping my Aunt had just lied and I'd find a good man. A dad that loved me. God I was so damn naieve."

"There's nothing wrong with hope Colin. We all need hope. And there's nothing wrong with going out and searching for the truth either."

Colin shook his head. "No. I wish I'd never started searching for that bastard." A tear circled his eyelid. He swiped it away quickly and took a shaky breath. "I didn't find his list until 1986."

Mac frowned. "What list?"

"I managed to hack into his private computer. He . . . he had a list of . . ." Colin swallowed back the nausea. "Look I can't . . . talk about this." He turned away.

Mac gently grasped his arm. " 've been carrying this alone for far too long. Say it. Get it out. You'll feel better."

He dragged a shaky hand through his hair. "He had a list of all the . . . women he'd raped. Jo's mother was on that list and he'd . . . kept scores on their appearance, physical . . . attributes, how well they . . . performed . . ."

That was when Colin sunk to the floor. When he buried his head in his hands and screamed so loudly, it had the CSI Team running down the corridor toward Mac's office.

Mac heard their footsteps and whirled around quickly.

Danny went to grab the door handle, but Mac shot him a warning look and signalled for him to stay where he was.

Lindsay's heart continued to pound loudly in her ears as she gazed anxiously through the glass at the guy in the corner of the room. _Who is that?_

"God. I thought that was Mac I heard scream out." Sheldon said breathlessly

"Nope. It's the dude on the floor."

Sheldon rolled his eyes at him. "I know that now Adam."

"Anyone recognise him?" Adam asked as he continued to glance down at him.

"No. . . Er guys? . . There seems to be a large vase sitting on Mac's desk. That wouldn't by any chance be the one that went missing at the Gallery would it?" Danny asked curiously.

All eyes flashed to the desk.

Lindsay gasped. "Oh my God. It has to be."

.

.

Mac dropped to his knees next to Colin and laid a hand on his shoulder as he continued to struggle with his own tangled emotions. "It's . . . okay."

"It's not okay Mac!" He shouted angrily.

Mac quickly got to his feet when Colin did and watched him as he started pacing wildly around the room.

"I got hold of a gun and tried to kill him!"

Mac's eyes widened. "When?"

"It was . . . 2005." Colin whirled back around to face him. "I followed Alex to a warehouse down Manor Street! He was alone! There was no one around! It was an easy shot!"

Breathing hard, Colin staggered back against the wall as the fury and despair continued to claw through his heart. "There I was carrying a gun around like my damn father! I bet he's great at hacking too huh?!" He swore loudly, turned back and buried his fist in the wall.

Mac started to move toward him. "Colin. You need to calm down. . ."

"I was finally standing less than ten feet from him! I had the damn gun pointed at his chest, but guess what?! I couldn't even bring myself to shoot the bastard! If I'd just done it. If i'd just pulled the bloody trigger than he wouldn't have Jo now! My God I'm pathetic. I'm such a worthless coward!"

Danny could hear the rage in Colin's voice and he stepped closer to the door. "I'm not too comfortable with the fact that Mac's in there alone with this guy. He's losing it in there. He could lash out at Mac any second. He could be armed for all we know."

"I don't like it either." Lindsay replied nervously.

Danny opened Mac's door slightly and brought his hand to his weapon. "I'll be ready just in case."

Suddenly the elevator pinged, the doors slid open and Don came charging into the Department with Martin Howell and four other Officers.

Adam spun around and motioned for him to stay quiet. "Mac wants us to wait here." Adam looked back in his office. "I think he's managing to calm this dude down now."

"Sonofabitch." Don grumbled as he stared angrily through the glass at Colin.

Lindsay moved in front of him. "You know who this guy is, don't you?"

"Yea. _This_ is Colin Smith." Don muttered. Suddenly he saw it on Mac's desk. "Bloody hell. It's the vase."

.

.

"Colin. Just take some deep breaths."

He leaned back against the wall and tried to calm down.

"Okay, firstly. You're nothing like him." _My God. It was around 36 hours ago, I tried_ _to reassure Jo with these exact same words._ Mac swallowed into an aching throat and forced himself to continue. "Secondly, you learnt to become a hacker because you was desperate to find the truth. I'm gonna let that one go."

Slowly Colin met Mac's gaze.

"And thirdly. Not pulling that trigger doesn't demonstrate cowardice to me. Alex Cole may have done some bad things, but he's still your father. I also think that you couldn't kill him because you knew deep down it wasn't right. You're not a killer Colin, so I'll echo these words again You're nothing like your father."

Don leaned against the glass panelling and closed his eyes. _My God. Alex Cole has another Son?. ._ _.This is insane._

You could cut the tension with a knife as the whole team stared silently into the room at Mac and Colin.

Colin gazed up at Mac for a long, silent moment. "Jo really was right about you."

The sound of her name brought a deep, raw ache crushing Mac's heart. He said nothing and started to rise to his feet.

Colin grabbed his arm. "You love her don't you?"

Mac glanced down at him and released a long, heavy breath. "Yea. . . I do."

Colin nodded numbly and looked back at the vase. "I have no idea where he's taken her, but he can't be far. He wont leave without . . ."

"You're . . . in love with. . . Jo?"

Mac spun around and saw Don staring across the room at him in stunned shock.

Danny was standing next to Don clutching at the door handle, his eyes widening by the second.

_Ah crap! _Mac sighed inwardly as he glanced around at the rest of the team.

He narrowed his eyes at Adam and caught him gazing back at him with a concerned look on his was the only one who didn't seem surprised to hear the news.

_'We'll get her back.' _Adam mouthed. Mac watched him turn and walk quickly back up the corridor.

_My God. Now they all know._

Colin watched the scene unfold before his eyes. _Oh boy!_ He looked back at Mac, "Er . . .I guess . . . they didn't know you'd fallen for her?"

_You think?_ Mac rolled his eyes and glanced back down at him."Just . . . get up."

Colin gripped Mac's hand and he pulled him to his feet. Suddenly he caught sight of Martin Howell talking on his phone out in the corridor. "You sonofabitch!" Enraged, he knocked Mac out of the way with surprising strength and bolted towards the door, but he got no where close enough to throw a punch at him. Don and Danny were still standing right at the door and they grabbed Colin as he tried to barge passed them. He struggled to get free of their grip. "Get off me! . . . Let me at him!"

"For God sake Colin calm down will ya?" Don muttered, as he gripped him tighter.

Colin stared furiously across at Martin. "You closed the fucking case didn't ya! Why was that huh? You're working for Alex Cole right?!" His head whipped back at Mac. "We can't trust him! You have to arrest him. Arrest him now!"

Mac moved quickly toward him and pointed through the glass panelling at Martin Howell. "You don't think he did enough to find Alex Cole back in 2007 right? You're angry he closed the case, Angry that he didn't listen to Jo. I get that. I am too. But Martin Howell is _not_ a corrupt Agent. He's just made some wrong decisions like we all do at some point in our lives. If we start working together, we'll find Jo a lot quicker, so let's just get on with it. I need you to let these Officer's take you down to the station. You have to answer all their questions . . ." Mac stopped talking. Colin was continuing to stare angrily at Martin Howell. He released a long, exasperated breath. "Colin!"

He tore his eyes from Martin and met Mac's stern gaze. "Al right fine. I'll tell the Police what I know." he muttered.

Lindsay, Danny and Sheldon exchanged bewildering glances and quickly walked back to the lab.

Mac handed Colin a card with his address and cell phone number on it. "If you need anything, call me."

"I'm quite capable of taking care of myself Mac." Colin answered.

He did a mental eye roll and continued to hold the card in front of Colin. "Just take it."

Colin paused for a long moment as he stared down at the card in Mac's hand. Finally he reached out and took it. "Thanks."

Don glanced around to Layton. "I need you to take him. I'm staying until that vase is out of here."

Layton nodded and moved towards Colin. "Let's go."

Mac watched them walk out into the corridor. "Colin?"

He looked back at Mac.

"Stay away from this case, you hear me?"

Colin turned and shot him a stubborn look, before stepping into the elevator.

Mac cursed inwardly as Colin disappeared behind the elevator doors. He shook his head and wearily wandered back into his office slamming the door behind him.

Don pushed out a long, pent up breath and walked up to Martin.

"I'm on my way." Martin hung up and dropped his phone back in his jacket pocket. "The Assistant Director is demanding that I see him now. No doubt I'll be suspended for defying his orders." He released a long, pent up breath and started pacing. "Sam went round to break the news to Rowan's parents. As you can imagine they're distraught. I'll need to head over there too. My God. What a day this is turning out to be." he sighed.

"I'm sorry it came to this." Don replied quietly, as he glanced back into Mac's office.

Martin sighed heavily. "Me too. . . I am however relieved to say that the Assistant Director doesn't want the vase coming back to the FBI Department just yet. Apparently its pandemonium over there at the moment. He's talked to the Chief and they've agreed that Reed Fisher will take it off your hands."

Don stared sternly back at Martin. "And who the hell's he?"

"Someone you can trust Don. We're working together here, remember? Mac's words."

Don muttered under his breath. "Okay, so when is he gonna grace us with his presence?"

"He'll be here in the next few minutes." Martin answered. "He's gonna take the vase to the Precinct, where he'll meet the Chief. He'll lock it in one of the safes downstairs. Reed will be working with 14 Special Agents from the Art Crime Team. They're leaving Washington as we speak and should turn up at the precinct in the next few hours. I have to take off." Martin turned and walked away from Don. He came to an abrupt stop at the elevator and paused for several seconds. "Don? When you find Jo. . . tell her . . . I'm sorry."

.

.

Mac was behind his desk staring at the vase when Don walked in a few minutes later and sat down in the chair opposite him.

"You okay?"

Mac said nothing.

"Look Mac. We're gonna find her. . ."

"Don't say it Don." In a fit of uncontrollable rage, Mac slammed his fists onto the desk. "Don't you dare say it! I'm sick of those damn words!"

Don raised his hands. "Okay . . . I'm not going to. . ." He stopped mid-sentence. "Crap!" He jumped out of the seat and grabbed the wobbling vase. "Okay. Maybe we should . . . just put this down here." he suggested, as he lowered it carefully to the floor.

Mac muttered under his breath, got quickly to his feet and strode across to the window.

Several tense moments stretched between them, before Don dared to speak up again. "Reed Fisher should be here soon. He's gonna take the vase back to the precinct. Some Agents from the Art Crime Team are on their way here from Washington to help him."

Mac glanced back down at the vase. "According to Colin. Alex stole this vase from Jo's father."

Don's eyes flashed across at Mac. "This. . . vase belonged to . . . Jo's father?"

"Yea."

"Do you think Jo knows that her father owned an item this valuable? That it got stolen?. . ."

"I don't know." Mac sighed.

.

.

Alex unlocked the heavy door and walked along the dark, damp hallway to the cell.

Jo staggered to her feet when she heard his footsteps. She swallowed back the fear, breathed in a breath for courage and met his icy glare as he came to a stop at the bars. "Comfy?"

"You've made a terrible mistake Alex."

He smiled menacingly at her. "No . . . I don't think I have."

"You're a fool. When the FBI catch up with you . . ."

"Don't waste your breath Jo!" He interrupted angrily. "They have no idea where we are. They'll never find us here."

"You can't hide forever. They'll continue to hunt you down until they find you. You'll lose in the end." Jo fixed him with a defiant glare. "I'm not gonna help you, so you might as well kill me now."

Alex roared with laughter. "I have no intention of killing you. My whole plan hinges on you being very much alive."

She swallowed into a dry throat and forced herself to stay calm. "So you can ransom me for your freedom? That plan will fail."

"I don't agree Jo. Mac, Don, the rest of the CSI Team. They care a great deal for you, . . . especially Mac. . ."

Jo's breath caught in her throat.

"And as for those idiots in the FBI. I thing quite a lot of them will be feeling rather guilty right now. . ."

She moved quickly toward him and gripped the bars. "They won't let their emotions get in the way of the Job Alex! Just let me go. Turn yourself in!"

Rage ignited like a fireball and he lunged for her. Jo jerked back, but not fast enough as his hand shot through the bars and gripped her arm.

He squeezed and smiled maliciously as he watched her grimace in pain.

"They'll . . . never. . . listen to you." She stammered. "and there's nothing . . . you can . . . do to bend me. . . to your will."

He pulled her up to the bars and glared down at her. "I wouldn't be so sure about that Jo. You say you won't break but you will. They all do in the end. I'll keep you locked up here until you finally submit to me. Then you'll do everything I say. You will be a lot of use to me and it will be nice to make this a family business."

Her eyes widened. "My God. You really are out of your mind if you think that. . ."

"SHUT UP!" He roared.

She froze to the spot.

He smiled. "You'll break in time. . ."

She cursed inwardly and tried to swallowed back the fear once again. Tried to pull her mind back together.

". . .But first, I'm gonna get that vase back Jo and I'm gonna use you to do it."

Her eyes flashed back at his. All fear evaporated and rage tore through her heart. "I'll die before I ever let you get your hands on my grandfathers vase!"

.

.

_**Oh My Goodness. JO DID know about the vase.**_

_**The CSI Team find a lead in the next chapter, so do not despair.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**HEY THERE :)**_

_**SO HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER. THIS ONE'S JUST UNDER 3,000 WORDS SO A LITTLE SHORT BUT IT FELT RIGHT TO STOP IT HERE.**_

_**THANKU EVERYONE FOR READING AND REVIEWING MY STORY.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

_Alex grabbed Jo tighter and pulled her against the bars. "You say I won't break you, but you will. They all do in the end. You'll be a lot of use to me and won't it be nice to make this a family business?"_

_Jo glared hatefully at him. "You really are out of your mind if you think . . ."_

"_SHUT UP!" He roared._

_She froze to the spot._

_He smiled menacingly. "Yes. You'll break in time."_

_Jo swallowed back the fear and cursed inwardly as she pulled her mind back together._

" _. . . But first I'm gonna get that vase back Jo. And I'm gonna use you to do it."_

_Her eyes flashed back at his. The remaining dregs of fear evaporated and rage tore through her heart. "I'll die before I let you get your hands on my Grandfather's vase."_

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 12.**_

A couple of hours later, Mac was pacing around his office feeling as frustrated as ever. Reed Fisher had left with the vase and it was now safe at the Precinct. Don had headed back there soon after. He was currently questioning the five guys they'd arrested back at Crotona Park, but they were refusing to talk. Gary had also decided to work through the night. He was sifting through the evidence they'd removed from Jo's apartment. Unfortunately, as of yet he'd found no fresh leads.

Mac walked over to the window and gazed out at the city. The fear intensified within him as images of Jo tormented him. Jo tied and bound. Alex Cole's gun pressed to her head. Alex pulling the trigger and killing her just as he had countless others.

Panic threatened to immobilise him, but he managed to take some steady breaths and calm himself down. He had to shut out the images. Stay sharp and focused if he was gonna save her from that sonofabitch. He thought about the team. They were still in the lab processing the evidence. He knew he had to send them home to get some sleep. They would be no good to him if they ran themselves ragged.

He sighed inwardly and started to move away from the window. He heard a tap on his door and turned around. "Christine?"

She walked in with a bright smile on her face and placed a large brown bag on his desk. "I brought you some food." Her smile faded ever so slightly. "I heard what happened. . . to Jo. I'm . . . sorry."

The smell of Chinese food wafted around the room making him feel sicker than ever. "What are you doing here? You should be at home asleep."

She walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I couldn't sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Feeling slightly uncomfortable he brought her hand away from his shoulder and stepped back. "I'm fine. . . and I appreciate the food, but I have a lot of work to do here so . . ."

"You need someone to take care of you Mac." She interrupted. "I've been thinking about us, about everything that's happened and I understand now. You were confused. So was I. Jo's a close friend and you care about her. I get that." She took another step towards him and fixed him with a hot, sultry gaze. She pressed her palm to his chest and traced her fingers down his body. "You and I have something special Mac. . .You're so tense. Come home with me and . . ."

In a flash of movement, he grabbed her wrists. "Whoa. Wait just a minute. I'm not confused. Not any more and I thought I made it very clear the other day. Obviously I didn't, so I'll say It again. "I'm sorry. I really am. I never meant to hurt you, but it's . . . over between us. I . . . love her Christine."

She yanked herself free of his grip and stared furiously at him. "You . . . love her? You're in love with . . . Jo?"

Mac sighed heavily and dragged a hand through his hair. "Yes."

He saw the hurt flicker in her eyes. _My God Mac. You really_ _messed up. _He swallowed hard. "Christine. I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to say. . ."

She took a deep, shaky breath, turned away. _It's okay. We can still work this_ _out. She won't get between us._ She gazed back into Mac's eyes and smiled. "Like I said, I understand. You just need some time."

Mac raised his eyebrows at her. "What?"

"I'll leave the food here. When you come to your senses, you know where I am."

He stared at her in disbelief as she started toward the door. "Wait. . . I don't need . . . time!" He moved quickly across the his office after her, but ended up running into the bin and kicking it halfway across the room. _Crap! _

His eyes flashed back at her. "Christine! I'm not confused! . . ." He came to an abrupt stop when she shut the door in his face. He watched her walk across the corridor. _Do I go after_ _her?_

She pressed the elevator button and met his concerned gaze.

Then he saw it in her eyes. _Oh My God!_ Anger slammed his chest. _Emotional Blackmail. Control._ He'd seen it a thousand times before.

_Oh I've_ _definitely come to my senses Christine._ He swore inwardly and stayed where he was.

Finally she marched into the elevator and slammed at the button like a spoilt child.

"I never really knew you at all did I?" he whispered, as he watched her disappear behind the elevator doors.

The bin was now at the far side of the room, but had somehow managed to stay upright. Unable to control his temper any longer, Mac grabbed the brown bag and flung it threw the air. He felt slight satisfaction when the bag hit it's target.

.

.

"You'll die before you let me get my hands on your Grandfather's vase?" Alex chuckled and released her. Jo stepped to the back of the cell as he pulled the keys out of his jacket pocket. "I don't think so."

Her heart started pounding wildly in her chest when she saw Lucas walk around the corner.

"Time to go Jo." Alex unlocked the cell door and started to walk towards her.

"Stay away from me." she said shakily. She dodged out of his way and charged for the door.

Lucas lunged for her and pulled her back against him. His strong arms were wrapped tightly around her, before she even had a chance of slamming an elbow into his ribs. There was no way she could get out of his grip now. He was so damn strong, she couldn't move an inch. She could hardly breathe. "Get . . . off me."

Lucas leaned towards her ear. "I don't fancy chasing after you Jo."

She turned her face away and forced herself to calm down. "I won't run. Please. Just let me go."

He roughly jerked her back against him and a sharp, intense pain slammed through her ribs. This time she couldn't control the cry that escaped her. He smiled and leered down at her body. "This is more cosy, don't you think?"

Panic soared through her heart and she frantically kicked out at him. Several times, her foot made contact with his shin's, but he didn't yelp out in pain and release her. He just laughed at her instead.

He brushed his lips across her neck and breathed her in. "You smell good Jo."

Angrily Alex pushed passed him and started walking quickly up the corridor. "Stop playing around with her and hurry up Lucas! We haven't got all night!"

She was half dragged, half carried up a long, dark corridor until they finally reached a heavy set of doors. Alex swung them open and light beamed through. She shut her eyes quickly as the dull ache started pounding in her head. It took her several moments for her eyes to become accustomed to the brightness, but finally she was able to open her eyes and she glanced around, trying to access her surroundings. "Where am I?"

They both ignored her as Lucas continued to drag her along a dimly lit hallway. They passed several windows on their left, but blinds covered them so it was impossible to see out.

Lucas came to an abrupt stop and she bit down on her bottom lip as the pain tore through her once again. Dammit! The bastard had probably cracked one of her ribs.

Alex opened a door to their left and walked inside.

Lucas marched her in after him and shoved her forwards.

Terror gripped her heart when she looked up and saw the single bed in the centre of the room. On the left side of the bed stood several monitors and on the right, there were three syringes sitting on a small table.

Her eyes flashed to Alex. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

"You're gonna tell me where you found the box." he replied in a cold, harsh tone. He glanced across at the table and grinned back at her. "I think some truth serum will do the trick."

"No. Wait. You don't have to . . ." Alex start to move towards her. She whirled around and ended up slamming into Lucas.

They grabbed her and marched her back into the centre of the room. She pulled back, dug her heels in and screamed for them to stop as she continuing to fight against them, but they ignored her and lifted her onto the bed, then pushed her down on the mattress and secured her wrists and ankles to the restraints.

"Okay. I'll tell you!" She shouted frantically. "I'll tell you where I found it!"

Alex finished tightening up the leather restraints and glared down at her. "Go on then. Tell me."

She forced herself to take some steady breaths. "I . . . found it at . . . Seth's apartment."

He leaned closer and studied her face for a long moment. "I think you're lying to me Jo."

She swallowed hard and pulled frantically at the restraints as he reached for one of the syringes. "No! I'm not! . . . Please! . . . Don't do this!"

He brought the syringe toward her. "We have some Ethyl Alcohol in here, along with some Scopolamine. It will depress your central nervous system and interfere with judgement and higher cognitive function. Then it will . . ."

"It's not affective. You know that." she replied shakily.

He chuckled and reached for the third syringe. "I added an extra formula a few months ago. Tried it on Vernon Greeves, some punk that thought he could outwit me. It was very affective Jo."

He grabbed her arm and she fought harder against the restraints as he pressed the needle against her arm. "I'm telling the truth!" She cried.

"We'll soon find out."

She blinked back the tears and turned away, her heart racing, as he emptied the chemical's into her vein. She felt the effects almost immediately. Her vision began to blur and the numbness started to take over her body. Fear and panic intensified within her and she screamed out again. This time no sound escaped her lips. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She was paralysed.

Alex chucked the empty syringes on the tray and pulled out his phone. He muttered a curse and turned to Lucas. "Keep an eye on her pulse rate, B/P and temperature. I need to make a call and I can't get a damn signal down here. She'll be ready to interrogate in about 30 minutes. I'll be back in 15."

"Sure boss." Lucas watched Alex disappear out of the room. Then he turned and walked across to her bed. He stared down at her with a depraved look in his eyes. "Hey Jo. It's just you and me now."

.

.

Danny sighed heavily and chucked the key that Lindsay had found in the woods, back in the glass dish. "I'm still no closer at finding out where this belongs."

Lindsay gazed wide eyed through the magnifying glass. "Guy's. I think I've got something."

Adam quickly rounded her desk. "What is it?"

"My God. It's . . . a photo." Lindsay answered quietly.

Mac entered the lab and came to an abrupt stop. He stared across at Lindsay. "You've got a photo there?"

Danny spun around and stared across at Lindsay in disbelief. "Are you telling me that muddy ball of mush I found at the house is actually a photo?"

Lindsay took a deep steady breath. "Yes."

Adam dropped what he was doing and charged across to Lindsay's desk with Mac on his heels.

"I cleaned it up as best I could and put it in the drying locker." Her eyes flashed to Mac's. "I've just removed it. It's a photo right?"

Mac took the magnifying glass from Lindsay and looked through it. "It's definitely a photo."

Danny moved quickly towards him. "Can you see the picture?"

"No. It's too damaged. We need to run it through the Digital Filter and hope we can get a clearer picture." Mac carefully lifted the photo and whisked it across to the machine in the far corner of the room.

Sheldon walked into the lab balancing several cups of coffee in his hands. He frowned as he looked across at the team huddled around the desk at the back of the room. "What's going on?"

Adam quickly glanced back at him. "Danny found a photo back at the house."

Sheldon quickly placed the cups on the desk and dashed towards them.

The whole team waited apprehensively for the machine to process the evidence. Mac didn't take his eyes off the screen. It felt like they'd been waiting forever, but finally the machine beeped.

Sheldon stepped forward and pointed to the shadow on the far right of the picture. "Is that a building?"

"It could be." Adam answered.

"That's got to be a road just there and I can make out trees." Lindsay replied.

"We need the Optical Polarizer." Mac ran the software and a couple of minutes later they were looking at a much clearer picture.

"That _is_ a building." Lindsay replied. "She looked closer. "It's a Wireless Connection Store.'

Mac zoomed in on the photo.

"Does anyone recognise the area?" Sheldon asked anxiously.

Mac zoomed in further and froze in his tracks.

Lindsay glanced nervously back at him. "Mac?"

He released a long, shaky breath and grabbed his phone from his pocket. "This photo's been taken in the Upper Roseville Area, Newark."

.

.

Alex walked into the room and looked across at Lucas. "Everything okay?"

Lucas smiled inwardly, tore his gaze from Jo and turned back to Alex. "Everything's been just fine." He glanced down at his watch. "It's been 25 minutes. Where have you been?"

Alex released a long, pent up breath. "Nolan, left evidence back at the house which may compromise our location. " He swore loudly and started pacing around the room. "I shot that worthless piece of shit."

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "You killed him?"

"His time was up. He was well passed his sell by date." Alex turned quickly and glanced back at the monitors. "She's ready." He walked up to the bed and glanced down at her. He saw that glassy look in her eyes as she stared off into space and smiled menacingly._ Yea. She's ready. _He drew up a chair and sat down. "Who do you care about more than anything in the world Jo?"

"Mac Taylor."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes."

"Would you die for him?"

"Yes."

He grinned down at her with a look of savage satisfaction.

A tear escaped Jo's eye lid.

"That could work to my advantage." He leaned in closer. "Where's the vase?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me where you found the box."

"I found it . . . at . . . Colin's apartment."

"Tell me his full name Jo."

She went suddenly quiet.

He gripped her Jaw and turned her to face him. "Tell me His full name!"

"Colin . . . Smith."

"And what's the address?" He gazed into her eyes and could see she was fighting the drug. "The address Jo! Tell me the address!"

". . . Man. . .hattan."

"Where in Manhattan!"

Another tear escaped her eyelid. "2 W . . . 130th Street."

"How do you know him?"

"I . . . met him . . ."

"Jo! . . ."

"I met him . . . through Seth. They were . . . close friends."

Alex cursed inwardly. There was so much more he needed to get out of her, but first he needed to find that vase. She was stronger than Vernon Greeves and he knew he'd have to prepare a higher dose of this stuff before he interrogated her further. She could start lying to him again, any second. And of course he'd have to wait an hour to do that or he'd end up killing her. He needed her alive. She was more valuable to him alive. He rose quickly to his feet and glared across at Lucas. "You heard the address right?"

"2 West 130th Street."

"Don't just stand there then! Get a team together, and go and find this Colin Smith! And make sure you've got Aran and Carl with ya!" He shouted angrily.

"Sure!" Lucas tore his eyes from Jo and walked quickly out of the room.

Alex followed after Lucas and locked the door behind him. "I'll call you when we find information on this guy."

"Okay." Lucas jogged down the hallway and climbed the stairs into the main house to find the others.

.

.

_**IT'S GONNA BE ACTION ALL THE WAY IN THE NEXT CHAPTER ;)**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**HEY THERE :)**_

_**SO HERE'S SOME ACTION AND A LITTLE SOMETHING ELSE. ;)**_

_**PLEASE R&R :)**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

_Alex cursed Inwardly. There was so much more he needed to get out of her, but first he had to find that vase. She was stronger than Vernon Greeves and he knew he'd have to prepare a stronger dose of the drug. That would take time. He rose out of his seat and glared across at Lucas. "You heard the address right?"_

_He tore his eyes from Jo."2 West 120th Street."_

"_Well don't just stand there then. Get a team together and go find this Colin Smith. And take Aran and Carl with you."_

"_Sure." Lucas rounded the bed and started for the door._

_Alex followed after him and locked the door behind them."I'll call you when we have more information on this guy."_

_Lucas simply nodded and headed back to the main house._

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 13.**_

.

.

The CSI Team looked exhausted, so Mac had commanded them to go home and get some sleep. Danny and Lindsay weren't happy about that, but Mac stayed firm to his word and promised them, If Jo was found, he'd call them straight away. Danny was up for arguing the point further, but Mac cut him off, before quickly headed out of the CSI Department to meet up with Don.

With the Chief's permission, Don had managed to get a team of fifteen officers together and several choppers were also available to help with the search. An hour later, they were standing outside the Roseville Police Station. The plan was to meet there because Sheriff Daniel Shaw and several units from Roseville would also be accompanying them on the search.

Mac muttered under his breath, turned away from Daniel and started walking back to his car. He'd gone over the Map with Don and the teams about a half dozen times already. Surely, they'd got it by now. "How much longer are we waiting around here for God sake!" He called over his shoulder.

Don looked up from the map and sighed heavily. "We go in 15 minutes Mac!"

_Jo might not have fifteen minutes._ "I'm going to get a coffee! I'll be back in 5!"

"Get me one too!" Don called back.

Mac got in the Avalanche, slammed the door in frustration and drove off to the gas station around the corner. It took him hardly any time at all to grab the coffees, so he circled around for a few minutes to get a feel for the area.

When he reached the end of the road he turned into Cricket's Lane and saw Branch Brook Park in the distance. At the far side of the lake he noticed a massive structure. _That's the Roseville Mental Hospital. _He frowned._ They closed that down years ago. _He was too far away to see clearly, so he drove further down the lane to get a closer look.

Several minutes later, he drew to a stop alongside a small field, about two hundred metres from the building. He quickly grabbed his binoculars from the dashboard and peered through them. _There_ _**are**__ lights on inside there._

_._

_._

Don walked across the road and looked around the corner. There was the gas station, but Mac's car was nowhere to be seen. It was at that very second, his phone started ringing in his pocket. He answered it quickly. "Mac?"

"Hey."

"Where the hell are you?" Don asked nervously.

"I'm at the end of Cricket's Lane," Mac answered, as he continued to gaze through his binoculars.

Don rolled his eyes. "What are you doing at the end of Cricket's Lane?"

"I'm 200 metres from what use to be Roseville Mental Hospital. This place was closed down years ago right?"

Don gripped the phone a little tighter in his hand. "Yea. Why?"

"Don they're lights on inside . . ." Unease crawled up Mac's spine. ". . . and I think I just saw two guys walking around the building."

Anxiety tightened Don's chest. "Okay, you sure you've got the right building?"

"Of course I've got the right building!" He answered in an agitated tone.

"Just stay there! Don't go any closer! I'll check with Daniel."

"Well just hurry up and. . ." Mac froze to the spot when he saw who came out the main entrance of the smaller building.

Don started to jog towards Daniel, but slowed slightly when he heard Mac go suddenly quiet on the other end. He pressed the phone closer to his ear. "Mac?"

Rage slammed through his heart and it took everything in him not to dive out of the car and charge after him. "Don! I've spotted him! He's here! Alex Cole is here!"

_Shit! _Don's eyes flashed across to Daniel.

Daniel frowned and quickened his pace toward him. "What's up?"

"Mac's found them already."

Daniel's eyes widened. "What? . . .Where?!"

Don turned quickly and started to dash back to his car. "They're hiding out at Roseville Mental Hospital!" He called back.

"Bloody hell!" Daniel whirled around to the teams. "We have a sighting! Roseville Mental Hospital! Team 1 and 2, take the main road and circle around the back of the property. Let me know when you're in position! Team 3 and 4. You're with me!" He turned back and swore loudly when he saw Don's car disappear around the corner. He dived in his vehicle and took off after him.

Don sped down the road white knuckling the steering wheel, his tyres screeching on the asphalt as he turned sharply, passing the gas station on his right. He slammed his phone on the hands free device. "Mac? You're pretty close to that building. You sure they won't spot you?"

"I've moved the car back 50 metres and parked behind some trees." Mac grabbed the binoculars and scanned the perimeter. "Where the hell are you lot?" He asked impatiently.

"I'm turning onto Cricket Lane now. Just lay low. I'm only several minutes away." Don answered anxiously.

.

.

Alex Cole walked towards the large building and was just about to head inside when he heard siren's in the distance. He whirled around and pulled out the night vision goggles from his pocket.

.

Mac swore under his breath and grabbed the radio. "Daniel! Get those damn siren's turned off!"

Daniel screeched onto Cricket Lane and looked back. An ambulance was speeding up the main road on it's way to Hawthorne Hospital. "It's not one of ours!"

.

.

Alex scanned the area and saw a car parked at the side of the road several hundred metres from the house. _Dammit! _He grabbed his gun, aimed around the trees and fired at the vehicle.

Mac ducked as the bullet tore through the edge of the windscreen, sending shards of glass flying in all directions.

Panic slammed Don's chest. "Mac? . . . Mac answer me damn it!"

"I've been made!" he shouted. He scrambled out of the car and ducked down behind a tree as another bullet whizzed through the air and pinged off the side of the bonnet.

Suddenly Alex saw Mac, and enraged he started to move across the field towards him. He grabbed his phone and pressed speed dial. "Ed! I need you to meet me outside . . ." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw a line of vehicles speeding down the lane. "Crap! The Police have found us! Vacate the building now!" He shouted.

It was at that moment, all hell broke loose. Alex fired several more shots at Mac, then turned and dashed back to the main wing of the large building, just as Ed, along with around twenty other men, burst out of the smaller building and started running to their cars.

None of Alex's goon's were even looking Mac's way. They were too busy trying to get the hell out of there. He shot at a few tyres and brought the radio back towards him as he bolted across the field after Alex. "Daniel! Where the hell are team 1 and 2?!"

Daniel swore under his breath and stared anxiously through the front windscreen. "They're still several minutes away from the house. It's a good few miles around that lake Mac!"

Don continued to floor the gas down Cricket Lane and was relieved to see the house now only a mile or two away. "Mac. I'll be with you in a minute."

Mac sprinted up to the main doors, took a deep, steady breath, then swung them open and stepped inside. "I'm requesting radio silence." He whispered as he turned and started to move quietly down the dimly lit corridor.

Anxiety rose up in Don once again. "Mac? Where the hell are you now?"

"I've followed Alex into the main wing of the hospital."

Don went to bury his foot on the gas pedal, only to realise he was already flooring it. Dammit. He should have talked to the Chief. He knew Mac had been way too emotionally involved in this case. "Mac! Get out of there and wait for back up!"

Mac swore inwardly, flipped off the radio and continued moving along the corridor. A minute later he'd reached the end. He looked left, then right. God, It was like a damn maze in this place. What direction had that sonofabitch gone in? He muttered another curse and tried to listen above the chaos outside. Suddenly, he heard a door being shut further down the corridor. He turned right and quickened his pace toward the sound, checking every room for Jo, as he passed.

When he turned the next corner, he skidded to a sudden stop and gripped his gun tighter in his hand. The door on his left was shut, unlike the others that had been left slightly ajar. He trained his gun at it, released a long, pent up breath and slowly turned the handle. It was locked. He reared back, counted down from three and slammed into the door several times, but it wouldn't budge. _Great!_ He muttered under his breath, aimed his gun at the lock and fired.

The second Mac came charging into the room, Alex slammed into him and knocked him to the ground.

Mac's gun flew out of his hand and clattered across the floor.

Alex glared down at him. "I thought about keeping you alive." He pressed his weapon to Mac's chest. "That plan hasn't quite worked out so I guess I'll just have to kill you instead."

In a flash of movement, Mac swung back his fist and slammed it into Alex's arm.

Alex grunted in pain and his weapon slipped from his hand and landed on a worn, dirty bed spread. He swore loudly and tried to reach for it, but Mac's fist connected with his face. He fell backwards and slammed to the floor. "Argghhh!" He spat the blood from his mouth and was about to get to his feet and attempt to deliver a blow to Mac's ribs, when he heard thundering footsteps coming down the corridor towards him. _Fuck_.

Mac lunged for Alex's gun, grabbed it, and spun back around.

Alex was now up on his feet and running across the room towards the window.

Mac squeezed down on the trigger and this time the bullet caught Alex on the shoulder. Unfortunately, it didn't stop him. He just kept going.

Mac hadn't fired the second shot. Hadn't heard the glass splintering around him as Alex crashed through the window and disappeared into the darkness. He was frozen to the spot, the emotions slamming through his heart as he gazed wide eyed at Jo lying unconscious on the bed just a few feet from him. Cuts and bruises covered her face and arms. She looked so pale, so lifeless. He fought back the panic and moved unsteadily across the room toward her.

"Jo. . . " My God. Alex had put her in restraints. He noticed that one of the leather buckles had been loosened and he swallowed back the rising nausea. Alex intended to take her with him, the bastard.

Mac swallowed back the emotions and quickly freed her from the leather straps, then he gently turned her to face him.

"Jo. Wake up. . . It's me. . .Jo . . . open your eyes."

She didn't respond. He checked her pulse. It was slow, but steady. Rage and fear intensified within him when he noticed four empty syringes lying on the table. Moisture filled his eyes as he leaned towards her and carefully lifted her into his arms.

"It's gonna be okay." he whispered shakily. "You're gonna be just fine. . ."

Don rushed into the room, followed by Daniel and four other Officers. He slammed to a stop and glanced anxiously at Jo. "You've found her. . . Is she okay?"

Mac's eyes flashed up at Don. "She's been drugged. I need to get her to a hospital."

"The paramedics just turned up. They're out the front."

Mac swallowed hard and gazed back at Jo. "I shot Alex in the shoulder, but . . . he got away. He went through the window."

Daniel bolted across the room and kicked the last of the shards of glass from the window. He turned back to the Officers. "Come on!" He shouted urgently. "We've gotta get after him!"

Don turned back to Mac. "Get yourself and Jo out of here, but be careful some of Alex's goons may still be loose out there." His eye's shot back at the window. "I'm going after Alex."

Mac watched Don tear across the room and jump out of the window after Daniel and the other Officers. He sighed heavily, gently drew Jo against him and quickly made his way through the corridors and out to the paramedics.

.

.

_**Five hours later, **_Jo slowly drifted back to consciousness. White washed walls and glaring lights greeted her as she opened her eyes and it only serving to intensify the pain currently throbbing through her skull. She swallowed down the nausea and tried to pull her mind back together.

"Hey."

She turned to his voice. "Mac?" She felt his hand gently grip hers and she released a long, shuddering breath. "You're . . . here."

He drew his chair closer to the bed and leaned towards her. "It's okay. You're at the hospital. You're safe now."

She gripped his hand tighter. "What . . . happened?. . . How did I get here?"

He reached out and stroked her hair. "We found you." He took a deep, unsteady breath. "Everything's gonna be okay. Right now you need to rest. . ."

"Why is my vision all blurry? . . . I was . . . in a chopper. . . Where did you find me? . . ."

"Shh. It's alright." He swallowed into an aching throat. "The memories. They'll . . . return in time."

Even through the haze, she could still make out the anxiety in his expression and fear clawed through her. "Why can't I remember? Have I got concussion?"

"Jo. You're gonna be fine, but right now you need to get some more sleep. . ."

Panic slammed her chest. "No!" She interrupted. "I . . . I need you to tell me . . ."

He shot out of the seat and gently pulled her towards him.

Automatically, she wrapped her arms tightly around him and clutched at the material of his shirt, trying her best to hold back the tears. "Did you . . . find me in the basement?"

Mac closed his eyes as the low, raw ache gripped his heart. The last thing he wanted to do was help her remember the trauma she'd been through. He sighed heavily and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "No. We found you in Roseville . . . You were unconscious. When we got you to the hospital, the doctors discovered . . . a large amount of . . . Ethyl Alcohol and Scopolomine in your system."

She pulled away from Mac and glanced fearfully up at him. "Truth Serum?"

"Yes. The Scopolomine caused the short term Amnesia."

"My God." She whispered. She turned and stared out of the window. "What did I tell him?"

"I don't know, but I'm guessing he asked you where the vase was." Mac answered softly.

Jo's eyes flashed back at his.

Mac brushed away a stray tear from her eyelid. "Why didn't you tell me about the vase?"

She swallowed into a dry throat and looked down at the bed sheets. "What vase?"

Mac sighed inwardly and continued to gaze steadily at her. He knew why she was doing this. She was ashamed that Alex Cole was her Uncle. That's why she'd tried to run from him on several occasions and why she was lying to him now.

"The time for secrets is over Jo. The NYPD have been assigned to this case now and they've been filled in on the latest developments."

She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes, as the shame and grief tore through her heart.

"When you're better, Don's gonna be asking you some questions. You know you're gonna have to be straight with him, so why don't you start practising on me?"

Slowly she glanced up and met his piercing gaze. "I'm sorry. I was trying to protect you."

"I know." Mac reached out and held her hand. "Are you up to telling me how you found out about the vase?"

She gazed across at him for several seconds, then glanced down at his hand. "Back in 2008, Seth told me he'd found some document's on a vase that was stolen from my father's house back in July 1963. I tried to find out more, but got nowhere and when I went back to Seth the next day and asked him where he'd found the information, he said he'd made a mistake, read the information wrong. I asked to see the documents. He told me, he'd deleted them. I didn't believe him. We had an argument. He continued to stick with the story. I wasn't getting anywhere with Seth, so I spent the next three months trying to find the information myself. I found nothing so I . . . let it . . . go."

"Okay. . . Look you're tired. Get some rest and we'll talk about this . . ." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Jo freeze, her eyes widening in terror as she gripped his hand tighter. "Jo? . . ."

.

.

She felt hands tighten around her throat, choking her.

She fought frantically, trying to get free. . .

"_You Bitch! You Bitch!. . ."_

. . .Felt the excruciating pain when he kicked her in the ribs again and again.

"_You think I'm nothing?!"_

. . .Felt the muscles tear in her shoulder as he yanked her toward him, waiting for an answer. And she gave him one. _"I know you . . . raped my mother . . .that makes you nothing."_

. . . Felt the terrible pain once again as his fist slammed into her face.

"_I'm gonna enjoy making you suffer Jo. . . ."_

_._

_._

She screamed in fear as the sharp pain clawed through her ribs.

"Jo! . . . Jo open your eyes! Look at me!"

She tried to strike out at him. Tried to get away, but she was too weak against his strong grip.

Feeling totally helpless now, Mac pulled her against him and held onto her as she continued to try and fight against him.

"It's okay. . . Jo It's just a flashback!"

Seeing her like this, It felt like his heart was being torn in two. It felt like he was dying inside.

"Jo It's me Mac. I'm here."

A tear circled his eyelid.

"Please. . .Jo come back to me."

_Mac? _Her eyes flew open, her breaths coming in painful gasps as her heart continued to thump loudly in her chest. "Mac?" she cried.

_Oh thank God! _Mac forced himself to take several long, steady breaths as the relief swept through him. He continued to hold onto her and rocked her in his arms. "I'm here. It's al right, I'm here. You just had a flashback. You're okay."

She forced herself to open her eyes and stared fearfully around the room. "I'm . . . not there."

Slowly he eased her back on the pillows. "No you're not . . ." Rage simmered within him as Alex Cole and Lucas Rohr's face flashed through his mind. ". . .Never again."

She brought her hand to her ribs and bit down on her bottom lip as another sharp pain tore through her. "I'm . . . sorry. Did I . . . hurt you?"

"No, but you need some pain relief." He pressed the call alarm by the side of her bed and started to move away.

Immediately she saw the guilt flicker in his eyes and she gripped his hand to stop him going any further.

He stopped dead in his tracks and met her anxious gaze.

"Alex Cole got away didn't he?"

He swallowed hard and simply nodded.

She swallowed back the fear, carefully leaned towards him and touched her lips to his. "It's okay," she whispered shakily.

They locked eyes for a long, immeasurable moment. Then slowly he brought his hand to the back of her neck, leaned in closer and deepened the kiss. Her lips tasted so sweet and luscious and soft. God. He'd missed her so much.

She became so lost in him, the pain and hurt disintegrating to nothing, as the kiss grew more demanding between them, so intense. Yet he was so gentle as his tongue caressed hers in a hungry, passionate dance.

Finally, he pulled away and gazed back into her beautiful, brown eyes. "It will be. I'll make sure of that." he murmured quietly.

.

.

_**OKAY . . . SO I MANAGED TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF MAC WHUMP ACTION IN THERE. I KNOW IT WASN'T MUCH, BUT I PROMISE IT WILL GET BETTER AS THE STORY PROGRESSES. I THINK IT WILL HAPPEN MORE TOWARDS THE END OF THE STORY THO.**_

_**AND AS OF YET, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A MORE ANGSTY ONE TO COME ME THINKS ;)**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**HEY :)**_

_**SO HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER**_. _**IT'S ANGST AND ACTION WITH THIS ONE!**_

_**PLEASE R&R :)**_

.

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter..**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

"_Alex Cole got away didn't he?"_

_Mac simply nodded and started to look away._

_Ignoring the pain as best she could, Jo quickly leaned towards him and touched her lips to his. "It's okay," she whispered shakily._

_Their eyes locked for a long, immeasurable moment. Then slowly, he drew her closer and deepened the kiss. Her lips tasted so sweet and luscious and soft. God he'd missed her so much._

_She became so lost in him and the pain and hurt disintegrated into nothing as the kiss became more demanding between them, so intense. Yet he was so gentle as his tongue caressed hers in a hungry, passionate dance. _

_Finally he pulled away and gazed into her deep, brown eyes. "It will be. I'll make sure of that."_

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 14.**_

.

.

_**A couple of hours later, **_Mac half heartedly slammed the vending machine with his fist and waited. Still it wouldn't drop. It was well and truly stuck. He didn't want the damn sandwich anyway. He stepped away, muttering under his breath and started down the corridor back to Jo's room.

Several seconds later he heard someone kick at the machine. Mac was in no mood to be pleasant, so he whirled around and was about to charge back up there and shout at the sonofabitch who was trying to steal his sandwich, when he saw it was Don. He placed his hands on his hips and cast him a stern stare as Don grabbed the sandwich.

Don turned toward him with a smug look on his face. "You don't punch it. You kick it."

Mac shook his head at him and released a long, weary breath. "Have the damn thing. I don't want it anyway." He turned around and continued up the corridor.

"Mac?" Don sighed inwardly and jogged after him. He caught up with him around the corner and handed the sandwich to him. "Take it."

Mac ignored Don and continued walking.

"You need to eat . . ."

Mac cut him off by snatching it out of his hand and chucking it in a bin on his way passed..

Don muttered under his breath and watched Mac disappear up the corridor.

A minute later, Mac was standing outside Jo's room staring through the glass door at her.

She'd been so tired, but had refused to close her eyes, She'd managed to keep herself awake for about an hour and a half, before finally crashing around 45 minutes ago. He was relieved to see her still peacefully sleeping. He suddenly became aware of footsteps and swore under his breath as Don slowed to a stop beside him.

"How is she?" He asked quietly.

"She's gonna be okay, but she's not ready to answer any of your damn questions yet Don. She needs rest." Mac replied in a low, fierce tone.

Don turned angrily toward him. "That's not why I'm here Mac! I came to see how she was doing!"

Mac gazed steadily at him for a couple more seconds, before looking away. "Fine." he muttered.

Don released a long, pent up breath and glanced back into her room. "We've got the bloody road blocks up again. Still no sightings. We couldn't find Ed, Aran or Lucas."

Mac's fists clenched at his sides.

" . . . And God knows how many more of those bastards got away from Roseville." Don hesitated, before turning back to Mac. "Does Jo . . . remember anything?"

Mac sighed heavily. "She had a flashback when she was in the basement back at Bell Drive, but that's about it."

"I'll talk to her in the morning. May be she'll remember something after she's had some rest."

Mac whirled around and and stepped towards him. "No you wont!"

Don frowned at Mac's sudden outburst. "Look. . . I know you care about her a lot and I don't like the idea of making her remember the crap she went through either, but she might know something that can help us . . ."

"We don't need to question her!" Mac interrupted angrily. "We've got the CSI Team analysing the evidence and half the NYPD are searching New York as we speak. We'll find a fresh lead soon enough."

Don paused for a couple of seconds as he stared back at Mac. His frown deepened. "What were Jo's injuries?"

"I've told you already!" Mac answered in an agitated tone. "She has two cracked ribs, but other than that. . . just. . . superficial wounds. She was dehydrated and as you already know, she's suffering with short term memory loss from the drugs."

Unease crawled up Don's spine. "You know I'm gonna be getting a copy of Jo's Medical File right?"

Mac swallowed hard and dragged a hand through his hair.

"Mac?"

Slowly, he turned back and met Don's anxious gaze. He forced out a long, unsteady breath and stared down at the floor. "They. . . did an internal examination. . . She was . . . raped."

Don's heart stalled in his chest as he stared wide eyed at him. _My God. No._

Mac gazed back at Jo as the rage and grief clawed through his heart. "I don't want her to remember that Don," he said quietly.

For a long time Don was unable to do anything but stare back at Mac in shock.

Finally he managed to force himself to start focusing. He moved unsteadily to the seat at the side of the corridor and sunk down into it. "Okay." he said breathlessly. "I get that you don't want her to remember that, but she's suffering with short term amnesia Mac. She _will_ remember."

Mac stared back at Don. "She could have been unconscious when he raped her, in which case she _wont_ remember."

Slowly, Don gazed back up at Mac. "If that's the case and you don't tell her, she'll still end up finding out. It's gonna be documented in the case file." he said quietly.

Mac cursed inwardly and turned back to Jo. _I can't tell her._

Don stared across at the wall in front of him, and paused for several seconds before he asked the next question. "Do we know who did this to her?"

"I had Tom Woodgate run a DNA Test. The results just came through." Rage ignited in Mac like a fireball and once again his fists automatically clenched at his sides. "It was Lucas Rohr."

Don closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. "Jesus Christ." he whispered.

Mac took a few unsteady breaths and tried to calm himself down. He needed to change the subject quickly before he ended up burying his fist into the wall. "How's it going interviewing Colin Smith?"

Don sighed heavily and tried to pull his mind back together. "He knows nothing more than what he told you back at your office earlier. He was transported to a safe house in West Orange a couple of hours ago."

Mac heard approaching footsteps and looked up to see Lindsay walking down the corridor towards him.

She looked through into Jo's room. "She's resting. That's good." Lindsay turned back to Mac. "I'll stay with Jo while you go home for a few hours and get some sleep."

"I'm . . . fine. I'm not leaving her right now." Mac answered quickly as he reached for the door handle.

"Mac. There are Police units surrounding this hospital. Alex Cole can't get to her here. She's safe."

Mac gazed back in the room at Jo. What he needed to do was find Lucas Rohr and kill the bastard, but where the hell was he and Alex Cole hiding. Pure, focused rage slammed through Mac's heart and his grip tightened on the door handle. _You'll both be begging me to kill you, once I've finished with you! . . . _He was torn from his dark thoughts by Lindsay's gentle voice speaking his name. He turned back and met her anxious gaze.

"Are you okay?" she asked, the concern flickering in her eyes.

"Yea. I'll . . . be back in a couple of hours."

A wave of relief swept through Lindsay. "Jo will be fine. You just come back when you've had something to eat and plenty of sleep."

Don raised his eyebrows at Mac as he simply nodded at her, turned, and walked quickly back up the corridor. He glanced quickly back at Lindsay. She was now smiling up at him.

"I managed to get Mac to go home. Isn't that great?"

.

.

Mac bolted around the next bend and glanced quickly around, before exiting the door to his left and heading down the back stairwell.

.

.

Lindsay frowned when she saw Don's face change. "What's . . . wrong?"

Don swore under his breath. "He's not going home. He's going after Lucas Rohr."

"Lucas Rohr?" Lindsay asked confused.

"Why . . . Lucas Rohr?" came a shaky voice from behind them.

Don and Lindsay spun around and saw Jo clutching at the door handle with her other arm wrapped firmly around her ribs.

Don's eye's widened. "What are you doing out of bed?" He started to move quickly towards her.

Jo staggered back and raised her voice at him. "Don. Why Lucas . . ." she stopped talking immediately, when a different kind of pain shot through her body. She froze to the spot, the fear slamming through her heart. She quickly looked away and a tear circled her eyelid.

Lindsay stepped in front of Jo and immediately saw the sharp despair and sadness flicker in Don's eye's. When he tore his eyes from Jo and met Lindsay's, words weren't needed. She knew already.

Her heart sunk and pressure began to build behind her eyelids, but she choked back the emotions and forced out a steady breath. "I'll take care of Jo. You go find Mac." She replied softly.

Don shifted his eyes back at Jo. She had now moved further into the room and it looked like she'd been attempting to shut the door on both of them. Lindsay however, was already squeezing through the door into her room. He took several steps backwards and swallowed into an aching throat, before turning quickly and sprinting up the corridor after Mac.

Lindsay shut the door and slowly met Jo's gaze.

Jo closed her eyes and looked away. "Lindsay. Please leave."

"I'm not leaving you alone." she replied softly. "You're in pain. You need to get back into bed Jo."

She choked back a sob. "Lindsay . . ."

Lindsay moved towards her and took her into a hug. "It's going to be okay." She whispered.

Shakily Jo brought her arms around Lindsay and clung to her for several minutes, as the tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Finally she pulled away and met Lindsay's gaze. "I need . . . you to do something for me."

"What do you need?"

Jo released a long, shuddering breath. "I need to see my Medical File."

.

.

Don charged out of the hospital and glanced quickly around. "Mac!" He shouted. Dammit. There was no sign of him. He ran to his car, dived in and floored it out of the main entrance of the hospital, onto the busy road. He grabbed his phone and pressed speed dial as he weaved through the busy traffic, looking for Mac's car.

"Gary. Have you found Lucas Rohr yet?"

Gary Winters pressed his phone to his ear and moved quickly out of the noisy precinct. "The road blocks are still in place, but we haven't found any of Cole's gang. They're long gone Don." He frowned. "Why Rohr anyway?"

Angrily, Don pressed down on the horn at the person driving their car erratically in front of him. "I need several units out. We need to find Mac. If he locate's Lucas or Alex he might . . ." Don stopped himself and pushed out a long, pent up breath. ". . . He's out of control. I don't know what he'll do."

Unease crawled up Gary's spine. "What the hells happened?!"

Don braked at the intersection and tightened his grip on the phone. "Mac left the hospital a few minutes ago. I'm on third Avenue. Just get as many patrol cars as you can out on the streets and find him!" Don hung up and furiously slammed his phone back on the hands free device. He glanced around for Mac's car once again, but could see it no where.

_How the hell did he get out of the hospital so quickly. _Don's eyes suddenly widened_. . . Crap! . . . He went out of the back exit! _

He quickly flipped on the siren and reversed the car, narrowly missing slamming into the vehicle behind him, then he turned the wheel sharply, his tyres screeching across the asphalt and floored it back up the road.

.

.

They grabbed the balaclava's and pulled them over their heads. Louis steered the van onto Tenants lane and accelerated up the road. He brought the radio towards him. "Alex. The bad news is, we still haven't been able to get into Colin Smith's apartment. There are Police everywhere."

Alex grabbed the radio and swore loudly as he hurried unsteadily into the bunker.

Louis continued. "The good news is, Mac's finally left the hospital. We're several Vehicle's behind him. Pyrce and the others are ready to cut him off. You want us to kill him right?"

"No! I want him brought here you Idiot!" Alex commanded furiously.

Louis rolled his eyes. "I thought you wanted him dead?"

"I've changed my mind!"

_Again? _Louis sighed heavily. "Why?"

"I've just had some Intel come through. Brody Atkins broke into the Police Database. The vase is sitting in a safe at the damn Station."

Louis turned to Lucas and raised his eyebrows. "So how's bringing Mac back to the bunker gonna get you the vase back?"

Alex muttered under his breath, walked into one of the large room on his left and sunk down on the sofa. "Jo will do anything to get Mac back. We just lay low until she walks out of that hospital. Then I'll contact her and tell her to bring the vase to me, or he dies. . .Now hurry up and catch him! And don't screw up!"

Lucas grinned viciously as he stared back out the front windscreen at Mac's car. _That sounds like a_ _very good plan, especially when I get to see Jo again._

Alex dropped the radio and hissed in pain as he pressed a hand to his shoulder wound. He glanced back at the door. "Gordon! What's taking you so long?! I'm bleeding out here!"

Gordon Field came hurrying into the room several seconds later, nervously clutching the medical kit in his hand. "I need several minutes to prepare for the procedure sir."

"Make it snappy!" Alex growled. "I need to be stitched up and out of here in ten minutes."

.

.

Mac glared back out of his rear view mirror at the black van and hesitated for several more seconds. He cursed inwardly and snatched his phone from his pocket.

Don swore under his breath, and glanced back at his phone thinking Gary Winters was calling him back to grill him for more information. His eyes widened when he saw Mac's number show up on the screen. He quickly reached out, pressed down on his phone and screeched his car to an abrupt stop. "Mac! Where the hell are you?!"

"I'm turning into Collier Street. There's a black van several vehicles behind me. . ." Mac stopped mid-sentence when he saw the van draw out from behind one of the cars and start speeding towards him.

"Crap!" Don slammed his foot down on the gas pedal and took off up Sixth Avenue. "I might take several minutes to get to you!" He grabbed the radio and tried to get through to Gary.

Mac looked back out the front windscreen. His eyes widened when another black van rounded the corner and screeched to a stop right in front of him.

He swore loudly, slammed his foot on the brakes and yanked back on the steering wheel, but it was a split second too late and he lost control of the car.

His tyres left the ground and he ended up holding on for dear life as his car flipped over, rolled across the road and slammed into a street sign, before coming to a shuddering stop.

He heard Don's voice and tried to get to his phone, but a sharp, burning pain shot through his body and darkness began to encircle his vision.

Before he knew what was happening, his door was wrenched open and he was violently pulled out of the car. He tried to fight them, but the darkness slowly engulfed him and he sunk into unconsciousness.

.

.

_**It's A SHORTER CHAPTER TONIGHT SEEING AS CHRISTMAS IS COMING AND I'VE HAD TO GO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AND WRAP UP ABOUT 20 PRESENTS TONIGHT!**_ _**I THOUGHT THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT WANT A SHORTER CHAPTER RATHER THAN NO CHAPTER AT ALL.**_

_**NEXT CHAPTER UP TUES OR WED NIGHT :)**_ _**I THINK IT MAY BE ACTION AND ANGST**_ _**FROM NOW ON.**_

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	15. Chapter 15

_**HEY :)**_

_**SO HERE'S A MAC WHUMPING CHAPTER**_. _**I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING IT. IT IS A LITTLE VIOLENT THO. LOL!**_

_**PLEASE R&R :)**_

.

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

_Mac looked back out the front windscreen. His eye's widened when he saw another black van speed around the corner and screech to a stop right in front of him._

_He slammed down on the brakes and yanked back on the steering wheel a split second too late._

_He lost control and held on for dear life as the Avalanche left the ground, flipped and rolled several times, before coming to a shuddering stop at the edge of the side walk._

_He heard Don's voice and tried to get to his phone, but he was suddenly paralysed with a sudden onset of severe pain and his vision became blurred._

_Several seconds later, his door was wrenched open and he was violently pulled from the car._

_He tried to fight them as he was dragged away, but the darkness finally swallowed him as he sunk into unconsciousness._

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 15.**_

.

.

Danny rubbed at his eyes and stifled a yawn as he wandered into the lab. "Tell me you guys found something?"

Wearily Sheldon gazed up at him. "Nothing that can get us a location on Cole I'm afraid."

Adam cursed and slammed the case file onto the desk. "I swear, when I find that bastard I'll-" He stopped abruptly and bit on his bottom lip trying his best to control the rising anger.

Danny sighed inwardly. "We'll find him."

Slowly Adam glanced back at Danny. "How's Jo?"

"I think she's feeling pretty overwhelmed over what's happened which is understandable."

Sheldon sighed and went back to signing the evidence report.

Danny continued. "Lindsay phoned about ten minutes ago. She said she's not up for visitors right now."

Suddenly his phone started ringing in his pocket and he brought it to his ear. "Danny Messer?"

Don stared back at Mac's car, as the shock continued to bolt through his system. "Danny?-"

Danny looked down at his phone and frowned. "Don?. . . Everything okay?"

Don forced out a shaky breath and started towards his car. "We . . . have a problem?"

Danny sighed exasperatedly. "I'm aware of that! Look! We're trying our best here . . ."

"Danny! Just shut up and listen to me a God damn minute!"

Unease tightened his chest. "What's going on?"

"Okay . . . so here's the thing. . ." Don paused mid-sentence and started pacing around the side walk.

Danny muttered under his breath. "Don!"

_For God sake, just say it. _He slowed to a stop and stared anxiously back up the road. "Mac's . . . missing."

Danny's frown deepened. "What do you mean Mac's missing?"

Adam automatically rose out of his seat, and Sheldon's pen fell out of his hand and clattered onto the desk, when they both saw the anxious expression on Danny's face.

Don released a long, resigned breath. "He phoned me along Collier Street and told me he saw a black van several vehicles behind him. Then several seconds later, I heard . . . a screeching of brakes and . . ." Don stopped speaking and paused for several seconds to swallow back the panic, before continuing on. ". . .I got down here as quick as I could. Barry Underwood and Sam Holland got here a few minutes before me, but Mac was . . . already gone. Danny he crashed the car. It looks like he was dragged from it. I think he was taken."

Danny stared back down at his phone in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Don cursed inwardly. "Just get down here with Sheldon and Adam Now!" He hung up quickly and forced back the emotions as Gary Winter's car came screeching to a stop in front of him.

Slowly Danny brought his phone away from his ear and stared incredulously across the room at Adam and Sheldon.

"You're gonna tell us Mac's just a little overwhelmed about what happened to Jo." Adam replied nervously. "That's why he's taken off right?"

Danny swallowed hard and yanked on his jacket. "We . . . have another crime scene. Let's go."

Adam and Sheldon stared wide eyed at Danny as he dash out of the lab.

Slowly, they turned to each other and exchanged fearful glances.

"First Jo and now Mac?" Sheldon asked in disbelief.

"Well, we _are_ dealing with one mad, crazy, unpredictable sonofabitch here." Adam answered bitterly.

Sheldon swallowed into a dry throat. "Yea. I guess we are."

They grabbed their kits and quickly headed out of the lab after Danny.

.

.

Lindsay reached out and grasped Jo's Medical File. "Let me take it now okay?"

Slowly Jo met Lindsay's concerned gaze, She continued to grip it tightly for another minute, before shakily letting it go.

Lindsay whisked it away and dropped it on the floor by her feet.

Jo pulled the blanket around her and laid back in bed. "I'll be fine Lindsay. It's not a big deal. . . It's not like I remember anything, so It's like it didn't really happen right?" She sank back on the pillows and closed her eyes._ I can make myself believe this didn't really happen. It's power over the mind . . I can . . . do that._

Lindsay stared across at her in stunned shock. "It didn't really happen? My GodJo. How can you say that . . ." She stopped dead in her tracks and decided It was probably best not to talk to her about this just yet. Jo needed some time to work through it first.

Lindsay decided to change the subject. "I know something that will cheer you up." She pulled it from her pocket and handed it to Jo. "Open your eyes. It's a candy bar."

"Thanks, but I'm not that hungry. . ." Suddenly her eyes flashed open and she rose up in bed a little too quickly. She bit down on her lip, grasped the edge of the mattress and waited a few seconds for the pain to subside before she spoke again. "What am I . . .still doing in hospital? It's not like I've had any major surgery."

"Jo. You have some nasty cuts and bruises and two cracked ribs which I can see are hurting you right now. And the Retrograde Amnesia . . ."

Jo cut her off quickly. "Lindsay. I can heal from injuries like this at home."

Lindsay released a long, steady breath and continued."Doctor Wakeman wants to keep you here for three more days."

Jo's eyes widened. "Why that long?"

"It's not long. He just wants to make sure you don't suffer any after effects from the Scopolomine."

"I'm feeling fine."

"You've only been here a short time and some symptoms don't appear straight away. You know that . . ." Suddenly she was interrupted by her phone ringing in her bag. She sighed inwardly, pulled it out and checked caller ID. "It's Danny."

Jo sighed inwardly and gazed back out the window. "You need to get that."

Lindsay glanced worriedly back at Jo as she brought the phone to her ear. "Hey Danny. What's up?"

.

.

"Hey. I might be back a little late tonight." Danny drew out from behind another car muttering a few choice words, and beeped his horn angrily at the driver as he sped passed. "I've . . . just called Marie. She'll stay the night with Lucy just in case we both get back at another God forsaken hour."

Unease rose up inside her. "Danny. Hang on a second." She quickly looked back at Jo. She seemed to be in a world of her own right now. "Jo I'm just going to go grab a coffee. I'll be back in a moment." Jo said nothing. She just continued to stare off into space.

Lindsay pushed out a long breath and quickly walked out of her room, pressing her phone closer to her ear as she dashed around the corner of the busy corridor, out of sight. "Danny. What's happened. Have you found something back at the lab?"

Danny turned sharply onto Sixth Avenue and slammed his foot back on the gas pedal. "No. . . I'm on my way to . . . a crime scene." He sighed.

"Oh. . . Okay." Lindsay released a heavy breath. "Danny have you heard from Don? He's . . . worried about Mac."

Danny swore under his breath at the car horns beeping around him as he jumped the next set of lights. "I'm on my way to Don now."

Lindsay's grip tightened on her phone "What?"

" . . Lindsay Is Jo with you?"

"No I'm out in the hospital corridor. Danny what's going on?" she asked anxiously.

Danny skidded around the corner onto Collier Street and slammed his foot on the brake pedal._ Jesus_ _Christ!_ He released a long, unsteady breath, jumped out of his car and hurried across the road toward the black Avalanche, his eyes widening as he got closer. "Oh God. No." he whispered breathlessly.

Lindsay raised her voice down the phone. "Danny! Speak to me!"

Adam and Sheldon slammed to a stop beside him, the shock clear on their faces as they stared at the scene before them.

Danny swallowed back the lump in his throat and pressed his phone closer to his ear. "Mac's missing. It looks like he's been dragged from his car." Pure focused anger slammed Danny's chest as he recalled Don's words. "Don said Mac spotted a black van."

"Alex Cole's got him?. . ." Lindsay asked fearfully.

Danny looked away from the debris and cursed inwardly. "It certainly looks like it from this end." He muttered.

Lindsay peered back around the corner into Jo's room. She hadn't moved an inch. It looked like she was sleeping. Lindsay leaned back against the wall. "I can't believe this is happening." She said breathlessly.

"Don't worry Linds. We'll find Mac. I've got to go."

"Where are you?"

"Collier Street. I'll call you back when we have something." Danny hung up and released a long, pent up breath. Then he turned and followed Adam and Sheldon down the road to find Don.

.

.

Mac had now been conscious for about ten minutes and he still couldn't figure out what the hell this place was. It looked like some kind of underground bunker, judging by the angles of the walls.

He got to his feet and staggered painfully back toward the metal door, then he gripped the heavy handle and gave it another violent shake.

"Cole! Get your ass down here and show yourself, you sonofabitch!" He shouted furiously.

_Dammit!_ He grabbed the handle tighter and leaned forward, waiting once again for the throbbing pain in his head to ease and the dizziness to subside.

Okay, so he'd haired out of the hospital determined to find Alex and Lucas, then ended up at Alex's damn base? This hadn't quite worked to his advantage. His gun, badge and phone had been taken and now he was locked in this damn room.

_I'm_ _just gonna have to come up with a plan to get out of here._

He was torn from his thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"It's about damn time." He grumbled.

He stood back and fixed Cole with a cold, hard glare as he entered the room.

"Hey Mac." Cole brought out his weapon and grinned arrogantly as he moved toward him. "Hasn't this worked out well?"

Mac stood dead still and tried to hold back the rage swelling inside him. "Yea I'd say it has. It saved me the trouble of trying to find you." He took a step toward Cole, not taking his eyes of him for a second. "You'll pay dearly for hurting her. I can guarantee you that." He said in a low, fierce tone.

Cole pressed his gun to Mac's chest. "I don't think you're in the position to threaten me!"

The door unlocked once again, and a depraved grin crossed his face as he continued to stare at Mac. "Hey Lucas. I was just telling Mac here . . ."

He was stopped mid-sentence by Mac's fast fist slamming into his stomach. He grunted in pain and staggered backwards, trying desperately to stay on his feet.

Lucas came to an abrupt stop, his eyes widening when he saw Mac hurtling towards him. He went to duck out of the way, but Mac had anticipated his move. He threw himself at Lucas knocking him backwards and he collapsed to the floor clutching at his stomach.

The fury raged through Mac as he slammed his fist into Lucas face. "You sonofabitch! I'm gonna kill you! . . . I'm gonna kill you now!" He drew back his fist and was about to hit him again, when he felt the butt of Alex's gun being pressed to the back of his head.

"Get up or I'll blow your damn head off!" Alex shouted.

Mac glared hatefully down at Lucas, the urge to finish him off clawing through him, but Alex pressed the gun harder to his head.

"I said Get off him!" He screamed.

Suddenly Aran and Ed and several others came charging into the room. Alex stood back. "You know what to do with him!"

Aran and Ed simply nodded and pulled Mac off Lucas. Carlton followed them with the rope as they dragged Mac across the room and slammed him up against a metal post.

Mac struggled to get free and glared back at Alex, as Carlton and Aran finished tying the ropes around his wrists and ankles. "You wont get away with this, you bastard!"

Mac's word's riled Alex's anger and he tore towards him and slammed his foot into Mac's already bruised chest.

Alex grinned menacingly as he watched Mac buckle as the excruciating pain tore through him.

Carlton and Aran stepped back and chuckled maliciously as they watched Alex grab the front of Mac's Jacket and slam him back against the post.

"I _will_ get away with this because I have you." Alex growled.

"You'll . . . get away . . . with nothing." Mac stammered.

Alex took a step towards him. "Jo loves you Mac. Did you know, she loves you so much she would die for you?"

Mac froze to the spot and fear slammed his heart.

Alex crossed his arms and started to pace around the room. "You'll be kept here, until I get the vase back."

Mac cursed inwardly and looked away.

"Don't worry. Jo will sign herself out of that hospital the first chance she gets, so It shouldn't take her long to find my private message on her computer."

Mac's eyes flashed back at Alex. "What?"

Alex turned back to him and grinned evilly. "Now what did I type? . . . Oh yea. It was something along the lines of;

_Dear Jo._

_Bring the vase to me and Make sure you come alone or Mac dies._

Oh yea. And I told her that if she hurries up about it, Kye Simmonds might still be alive when she gets here."

_My God. Kye's still alive?_

I attached a Map and ringed this location in red, so she knows exactly where to come." Alex added.

Panic threatened to immobilize him, but Mac wrestled with his emotions and tried to focus. "Why wait? You don't need Jo. I'll get the vase for you."

"Nice try Mac, but I don't just intend to take the vase. I intend to take Jo with me too."

"No! You stay away from her!" Mac surged forward trying to yank free of the ropes. "Leave her the hell alone!"

Alex laughed in his face and started to walk away.

"Alex! You're her Uncle for God sake!"

He slowed to a stop and turned back to Mac. "Yes I am, and that's why she's coming with me."

Alex turned back around and continued towards the door.

"She's not going anywhere with you!" Mac yelled angrily.

Alex saw Lucas staring venomously at Mac as he walked passed him. "Go ahead. Shut him up."

In a fit of rage, Lucas launched himself at Mac and slammed his fist into his face so hard, the impact sent his head flying backwards. He slid down the metal post, the stars dancing wildly in his eyes as he tasted the fresh blood in his mouth.

Lucas crouched low, his mad, feral eyes glaring down at him. "She's good Mac. I can't wait to have her again."

"NO!" Mac launched himself at Lucas so fast and with so much force that when the ropes jerked him back, a muscle tore in his arm, but he never felt the pain anywhere now. All he could feel was the rage and fear spilling over inside him at the thought of Jo being hurt again.

Lucas only just got out of the way in time. Mac had come within an inch of head butting him in the face.

Mac cursed at him again and again, as he continued to pull at the ropes, trying desperately to get to his feet. To get to Lucas, but the physical fatigue started to take over and several minutes later, he ended up slumping back on the metal post, totally exhausted.

He'd never hated a person like this. Never wanted to kill anyone in his life, until now, and deep down it scared him to death, but he couldn't control the urge that swept through his heart as he continued to glare back at Lucas.

He spat in his face. "I swear, if you go near her again, I'll not only kill you. I'll make you suffer in a way you've never imagined." He muttered in a lethally, calm tone.

Lucas shouted several profanities at him and started kicking him repeatedly in the stomach.

Mac lost count of how many times Lucas foot slammed into his body, but finally he could take it no more and the darkness swallowed him once again.

.

.

.

Don gritted his teeth. "You found nothing?"

" . . . . . . "

Angrily, he raised his voice. "Well search the damn area again then!" He hung up quickly and called Danny. "Hey. Where are you?"

" . . . . . . "

Don muttered under his breath and started pacing around the corridor. "Just go back to the damn lab and look through the evidence again. You're missing something."

" . . . . . . "

He sighed heavily. "No! I'm not telling you you're incompetent at your Job. I'm just saying that . . . Danny?" Don clenched his phone. "Danny!" _Crap! _He snapped his phone shut and tried to take a steady breath. J_ust calm down Don, for God sake._

Suddenly, he heard a loud scream. His eyes widened and he spun around. "Jo!" He flew into her room and bolted towards her bed. Immediately he brought his hand to her forehead and a massive wave of relief swept through him. Thank God. The fever had broken.

He forced himself to calm down and quickly pressed the call alarm, as she continued to scream and thrash around under the covers. "Hey. It's okay." He leaned closer and gently gripped her wrists. "Jo. Wake up." he said softly. "Open your eyes. It's me, Don. . . Jo C'mon."

Her eyes flashed open and she stared fearfully up at him.

"Hey." He smiled faintly. "It's just me, see?"

Jo swallowed back the nausea and turned away from the bright lights as the intense pain slammed through her head. "I don't. . . feel too good."

"You caught an Infection, but I think the fever's broken." Suddenly he saw the tears circle her eye lids. His smile faded. "Jo. You're gonna be fine. . ."

She paused to take a breath. She was trembling, her dark eyes flashing with fear. "I . . . I remember . . . everything."

Sadness and grief clawed through Don's heart. He released her wrists and gently took her hand in his. "Jo I'm sorry."

She jerked away and tried to push herself back against the pillows, her heart now racing in her chest.

"Jo. You don't have to be afraid of me. You know that."

"I know. . . I just. . ." She stopped talking abruptly and deep anguish Immediately darkened her eyes. "Where's . . . Mac?"

Don swallowed hard and tore his gaze from hers. "He's er . . . He's not here right now. I'm gonna go find the doctor. . ."

"Don where is he?!" She interrupted frantically.

He sighed heavily and sat down on the edge of her bed. "He's been . . . taken by Alex Cole's gang."

She froze for a long time, staring across at Don as the shock bolted through her.

Finally, she managed to find her voice again. "How. . . long has he been. . . missing?"

He leaned forward and dragged a hand through his hair.

A stray tear rolled down her cheek. "Don please. . . Just tell me."

He swallowed into an aching throat and slowly met her tearful gaze. "Nearly two weeks."

.

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_**THIS STORY IS GOING TO BE ACTION AND ANGST FROM NOW ON!**_

_**NEXT CHAPTER WILL HAVE SCENES WITH JO AND THE WHOLE TEAM. AND CHRISTINE MIGHT HAVE A GO AT JO. I DON'T KNOW YET THO. . . MAYBE IT'LL BE KIND OF FUN TO WRITE. LOL!**_

_**NEXT CHAPTER UP TUESDAY NEXT WEEK I'M AFRAID. I'M GOING AWAY FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. **_


	16. Chapter 16

_**HEY :)**_

_**I GOT THIS CHAPTER UP A DAY EARLIER BECAUSE I DIDN'T GO AWAY IN THE END.**_

_**I ENDED UP AT HOME WITH TWO CRACKED RIBS INSTEAD.**_

_**ME AND MY 13 YR OLD SON WERE MUCKING AROUND IN THE LOUNGE AND HE SLAMMED INTO ME BY ACCIDENT. HE FELT SO BAD BLESS HIM. I NEVER CRACKED A RIB BEFORE. IT HURTS LIKE HELL**_.

_**THANKYOU FOR ALL YOUR KIND REVIEWS. HUGS TO YOU. . . AND HERE'S AN INTENSE CHAPTER FOR YOU ALL. :)**_

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_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

"_Don where is he?" Jo interrupted frantically._

_He sighed inwardly and sat down on the edge of her bed. "He's . . . been taken by Cole's gang."_

_She froze for a long time, just staring across at him, the shock bolting through her._

_Finally she managed to find her voice. "How long has he. . . been missing?"_

_Don leaned forward and dragged a hand through his hair._

"_Don. Please . . ." A stray tear escaped her eye lid. " . . . Tell me."_

_He swallowed hard and met her tearful gaze. "Nearly two weeks."_

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 16.**_

.

.

Jo gasped. "Two weeks?"

"11 days. . . It's only 11 days. Mac will be fine. We'll find him Jo." Don assured her.

Her eyes flashed back at his. "Has . . . Alex contacted you?"

Don sighed inwardly. "No."

Jo's mind raced. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Okay. There's this vase and Alex has been searching for it and . . ."

"We know about the vase Jo." Don interrupted. "We have it. It's being kept locked up at the station."

Her eyes widened. "You've got the vase?"

"Yea."

"Where did you find it?"

Don pushed out a breath and rubbed at his forehead. "Colin Smith found the vase at the Paul Kasmin Gallery along 10th Avenue. He brought it to Mac at the CSI Department the day before we found you."

Jo frowned. "How did he know about . . .?

_Oh my God. _Her breathing quickened and fear rose in her chest. "Where's Colin?"

"Jo." Don moved towards her and gently gripped her shoulders.

She jerked slightly, but he was relieved when she didn't pull away. "Colin's fine. He's in a safe house in West Orange."

She released a long breath. "That's . . . good."

Don paused for a couple of seconds before he asked the next question. "Do you have any idea where Alex could have taken Mac?"

Jo gazed back at Don and her heart suddenly began to pound wildly in her chest as the memories flashed through her mind. She swallowed back the fear and tried to think.

Suddenly Don saw the panic flicker in her eyes and guilt clawed through his heart. "Jo!" He turned her to face him. "It's okay. . . we're not gonna talk about this now. You need to rest."

She stared incredulously back at him. "No! We need to find Mac."

"We're doing everything we can to find Mac, but you need to concentrate on getting better."

Doctor Wakeman hurried into the room and shot Don an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry. We had an emergency. . ." She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Jo staring back at her.

Her eyes brightened. "You're awake."

She hurried around the side of the bed and started to check her temperature. "How are you feeling?"

Jo gazed defiantly at Don. "I'm feeling much better. Actually I'm feeling totally back to normal so if you can bring me the forms, I'd like to sign myself out of here."

Don muttered a curse and rose off her bed. "You've been suffering with a severe infection for the last 10 days. You are _not_ back to normal."

"Detective Flack is right." Dr Wakeman checked the machine. "Your temperature is still a little high and so is your blood pressure. You're also very weak from the infection. You need to stay here for at least a couple more days to build yourself up or the infection could return."

_Damn it! _She could deny it all she wanted, but deep down she knew Don and the Doctor were right. The stars danced in front of her eyes and the light headed feeling that suddenly assaulted her was confirmation enough. She wouldn't even make it out of the room before collapsing in a heap on the floor.

"Okay fine." She sunk back on the pillows and blinked several times trying to clear her vision.

Don turned back and raised his eyebrows at her. It wasn't like Jo to give in so easily.

Suddenly he saw her go as white as the sheets on her bed.

_Crap! _He checked her forehead and glanced anxiously up at the Doctor who was now quickly hooking an IV Bag to the stand. "What's wrong?"

"She's fine. Like I said, She's very weak." Dr Wakeman started the drip and gazed back at Don. "This is glucose. It will help increase her energy levels, but right now she needs to rest."

Jo turned and met Don's anxious gaze. "I . . . think I . . .remember. . ."

He leaned toward her. "What do you remember?"

"I was . . . In the room . . ." Tears rolled down her cheeks and she shut her eyes tight as the horrific memory assaulted her mind.

Doctor Wakeman moved quickly around the bed toward Don. "Detective Flack. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Don gripped her hand firmly in his. "Jo? . . ."

"Lucas told me, I would . . . never see Mac again. . . Then he said . . . he said . . . 'Don't worry. . . you'll like it at Hillview Reservoir. . .'"

_My God. That's South East Yonkers._ Don had grown up there and knew that area like the back of his hand.

Fear strained her features and a sob escaped her. "I need to come with you . . . I need to find him."

His eyes flashed back at hers. "No. I'm not letting you anywhere near Lucas Rohr . . . or Alex Cole. You're staying here where you'll be safe and you'll get better. It's gonna be okay. Me and the team will find him." He assured her.

"Don I _am_ better . . . Please . . . let me come."

Suddenly two male nurses rushed into Jo's room and started to drag Don away.

"No!" Jo tried to get out of the bed, but a couple of seconds later, Dr Wakeman was gently pushing her back onto the mattress. "Jo, everything's gonna be fine. You need to calm down. . ."

Jo ignored the Doctor and tried to push her away, but she was suddenly so tired, her whole body felt like a lead weight and she could hardly move. "Don. . ." A fresh tear rolled down her cheek as her voice faded and her eyes slowly drifted shut.

Don tore his eyes from hers and forced back the tangled emotions.

He yanked free of one of the male nurses who was still holding onto him and shot him a hard glare. Then he grabbed his phone from his pocket and quickly strode out of the room to call Danny.

.

.

Mac had lost count of how long he'd been in his prison, but he was relieved when they'd eventually untied him from the metal post and started throwing him a sandwich and some bottled water every day. They'd also laid off with the hard punches. He knew it was their intention to keep him alive, but as the days wore on he felt himself getting weaker, and he was so damn hungry now he could eat a horse.

He'd spent many hours trying to find a means of escape, but it was impossible. He couldn't dig his way out of this hell hole. He was being held deep underground and the walls were rock hard.

To make matters worse Cole would come in every day and worry Mac sick about news of Jo's condition.

Cole had a spy working on the inside. Whoever it was, this person was in that damn hospital feeding information back to him and for day's Cole had taunted Mac, telling him Jo was very sick, struggling to fight off a severe infection.

Mac had pleaded with Cole to leave Jo out of this, that he would go and get the vase instead, but Alex just laughed in his face and said, _'I've spent many years trying to get this vase back. I can wait a little longer, especially when It means I can have Jo back too.' _

_._

Mac had spent today, scouring the room for anything he could use to get the hell out of here, but all he'd discovered were a few small stones on the floor. He muttered a curse and struggled to his feet. _Now all I need is a damn sling shot._ . . _How the hell is that gonna get me passed 30_ _thugs holding AK 37's._

His mood worsened when he heard footsteps outside. He swore again, turned and shot Alex his usual hateful glare as he entered the room.

"Hey Mac. I have some good news."

Alex was now grinning like a Cheshire cat and unease began to crawl up Mac's spine, but he stayed very still and continued to glare at Alex as he strode towards him.

"Jo's recovering from the infection."

Mac turned away from Cole and closed his eyes momentarily as the relief swept through him.

"I think I'll get things under way now. I've waited long enough." Alex growled.

Mac's eyes flashed back at his. "How the hell do you intend to do that?! There's a large team of Police Protection Officers surrounding that hospital!"

He chuckled menacingly. "This is true Mac, but I found out who's leading this team." Alex leaned toward him. "Detective Gary Winters."

Mac swallowed into a dry throat and tried to remain calm. "Gary Winters would never help a pathetic loser like you."

Alex grabbed the front of Mac's Jacket and slammed him back against the wall. "Detective Gary Winters has no choice but to help me!" He shouted furiously.

Fear and rage soared through Mac. "You sonofabitch." He drew back his fist and went to slam it into Alex's face.

Alex didn't feel the thin metal blade slip out of his pocket as he ducked back and blocked Mac's fist. Didn't hear it fall to the ground and clatter across the room as he surged forward and punched Mac hard in the stomach.

Mac collapsed to the ground, the excruciating pain tearing through his body, as Alex's boot slammed into him over and over.

Finally Alex stopped the torture and stepped back. He glared murderously down at him. "Take a look at yourself Mac!" He screamed. "I'm not the Pathetic, worthless, loser here! You are!" He laughed bitterly, then turned around and stalked out of the room, locking the door behind him.

Ignoring the pain, Mac forced himself to stay conscious and crawled across the damp floor stopping several seconds to catch his breath.

_C'mon Several more feet! You're almost there!_

He groaned inwardly, the sharp, clawing pain shooting through his chest once again, as he reached out and gripped the blade in his hand.

.

.

Jo drifted in and out of a fitful sleep, but the sound of the door opening made her jerk awake and she blinked, trying to distinguish the shadow in the doorway.

Had Lucas Rohr come here to hurt her again?

Fear clogged her throat and she threw the covers off her, ready to run.

"It's okay Jo. It's me, Detective Winters."

She exhaled shakily and reached for the covers feeling naked and exposed. And more vulnerable then she had in her entire life. "What are you doing here?"

He moved across her room and shifted his eyes toward the window. "I've just been on the phone to Don. He told me you're in danger. I'm to escort you out of here and get you to a safe location."

Slowly, she sat up in bed and frowned across at him.

Even in the most stressful situations, he'd always remained so calm and focused. Right now he was acting totally out of character.

She reached across to the bedside table. "I'm . . . going to call Don."

Gary whirled around and swore under his breath when he saw her rummaging in her bag for her phone. "No!" He tore towards her, grabbed the bag from her and threw it to the floor. Then he pressed his hand over her mouth, muffling her cries and pushed her against the mattress to keep her in place.

He quickly stared back out the glass door into the quiet corridor. There was no sign of the hospital staff. They were still doing hand over at the front desk. He'd also managed to persuade Officers Noel Hardy and Layton Tolbert to go and take a half hour coffee break at the hospital canteen. All he needed to do now, was get her to the fire exit without anyone seeing them.

He turned back to her and drew out his weapon. "If you make a sound I'll have to shoot you. . . For God sake, don't make me do that Jo." he said shakily.

She swallowed back the fear and tried to calm down as he slowly brought his hand away from her mouth. "What's . . . going on?"

Ignoring her, he pressed the gun to her chest and wrenched open the door to her bedside table. Then he pulled out a grey bag and dropped it in front of her. "You've got clothes in there right?"

"Gary. Just tell me . . ."

"Answer the damn question." He interrupted frantically.

"Yes. . . . They're spare clothes."

"Okay. Good."

He'd turned back and was checking the corridor once again. She took a deep, unsteady breath and tried to reach for the call alarm, but almost immediately he felt her move beneath him.

He dived for the alarm so fast, snatched it up and threw it out of her reach, before she'd even had a chance of getting hold of it.

"This isn't a game Jo!" He shouted angrily.

Instantly the dizziness assaulted her vision as he pulled her off the bed, but somehow she managed to stay on her feet.

"You have 2 minutes to get dressed so hurry up!" He shouted.

.

.

Aran unlocked the door and walked into the dark room with Mac's sandwich and bottled water in his hand. He frowned and looked around. "Where the hell are you, you little . . ." Suddenly his feet were knocked out from under him, and he slammed to the ground.

For a split second, Mac was paralysed with another bout of agonising pain. It gave Aran enough time to get to his feet and he whirled around and glared down at him.

Mac waited as Aran started to charge towards him, and just as he went to dive on top of him, Mac drew out the knife and sank it into Aran's chest.

Aran screamed out in agony and collapsed on top of Mac.

Mac muttered a curse and pushed him away, and Aran fell to the ground as the blood oozed from his body. his eyes turning buggy as he slowly faded into unconsciousness.

Fear for Jo rattled Mac into action. He grabbed Aran's phone and gun from his jacket, staggered to his feet and stumbled to the door. He peaked out and saw no one. The place was silent.

He checked Aran's weapon. There were only 4 bullets left in the cartridge. _Dammit! _He sighed inwardly and clutched the gun in both hands as he moved off down the dimly lit corridor.

.

.

Gary dragged Jo down the back stairwell and through the door onto the deserted car park.

Panic slammed through her as he pulled her toward the squad car.

He wrenched open the car door. "You're not well enough to drive. Get across to the passenger seat now."

He started to push her into the car. She jerked away and bit back a scream as the pain tore through her ribs. "No! I told you I'm not going with you!"

Gary grabbed her arm tightly and pressed his gun to her chest once again. "Get in the damn car Jo."

Immediately she stopped fighting and he shoved her across to the passenger seat, jumped in beside her and handcuffed both of her wrists.

Fear rolled through her in waves and the world spun as he started the engine and floored it out of the car park.

.

.

Mac staggered toward the tree line and cursed inwardly as he glanced back. He'd guessed right. The sonofabitch had kept him in an old underground bunker.

It felt so good to be out on the surface at last and he savoured the moment by breathing in the fresh air and listening to the birds overhead. It was getting dark now. It must have been around 19:00hrs. He forced himself to focus and grabbed Aran's phone.

.

.

Don stared across at the reservoir and released a long, weary breath. He brought the radio towards him. "Sam. Have you found anything?"

Sam slowed to a stop and looked around. "Don. They can't have brought Mac here. All we can see are a whole load of trees and this damn reservoir."

Don sighed heavily. "Okay you're right. He's got to be holding him in a building. Make your way back to base and we'll check further South . . ."

Suddenly Don's phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned down at the display. _Unidentified caller? _He brought it to his ear. "This is detective Don Flack?"

"Don . . .It's me. . ."

His eyes widened. "Mac?!"

"Yea." Mac squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to remain silent as the sharp pain continued to claw through him. "You need to . . . try and find . . . Gary Winters. I can't get hold of him. . . Are you with Jo?"

Don started sprinting to his car, signalling for his team to follow. "No I'm at Hillview Reservoir searching for _you_. . ."

"Forget about me! You need to. . . get back to . . . the hospital and . . . find Jo. She's in danger!" Mac shouted frantically.

"Okay calm down. Danny's going to call the hospital and check up on Jo now. Then he's going to locate Gary Winters."

Danny skidded to a stop, his eyes flashing across at Don, as he quickly pulled out his phone and punched in the number.

Don wrenched open his car door and jumped in. "You're in a lot of pain. You're not okay are you?" he asked anxiously.

"Don't worry . . .I'll live." Mac stammered.

"Do you have any idea where you are?"

Mac scanned the area and sighed inwardly. "It's too dark. All I can see . . . are trees." Suddenly he heard a car engine in the distance and he ducked behind one of the trees as it drew closer.

Anxiously, Don got back out of his vehicle and glanced around. "Are you anywhere near a reservoir? . . . Mac?"

Danny hurried to Don, the intense fear flickering in his eyes. "Jo's disappeared from the hospital."

Don stared back at Danny in shock. "What?"

The car stopped about fifteen metres from Mac's position and Immediately his heart wrenched in his chest. "Oh God. No." He whispered shakily.

Don tore his eyes from Danny and stared back down at his phone. "Mac! What's going on?"

"I . . . have a . . . visual on Gary and Jo." Fear gripped Mac's heart as he watched Gary race around to the passenger side and violently yank Jo out of the car.

"Mac. Don't hang up. We can track the call. . ." Don was suddenly cut off by the sound of a gun shot and terror slammed his heart. "MAC!"

.

.

_**I'M NOT SURE WHEN I'LL GET ANOTHER CHAPTER IN. HOPEFULLY ONE MORE BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND STILL MORE ACTION TO COME.**_

_**I AM GOING TO HAVE CHRISTINE BACK IN THE STORY SOON, BUT NOT QUITE YET. LET'S DEAL WITH ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME. LOL!**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**HEY THERE MY LOVELIES. ;)**_

_**I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT CHRISTMAS. OURS WAS BRILLIANT, BUT VERY HECTIC AND I'M GLAD EVERTHING'S CALMED DOWN NOW SO I CAN GET BACK TO MY WRITING.**_

_**I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE NEXT CHAPTER, BUT I WANTED TO KEEP IT REALISTIC, SO THIS IS WHAT I CAME UP WITH. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.**_

_**PLEASE R&R ;)**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 17.**_

.

.

Mac had watched on anxiously as Jo somehow managed to snatch the car keys from Gary and push him backwards. It would have given her that split second she'd needed to dive back in his car and get the hell out of there, and she would probably have made it if Ed hadn't of ran out of the bunker closely followed by Carl, Sid and Carlton and shot a hole in Gary's front tyres.

Mac cursed silently, pushed himself back against the tree trunk. He heard Don yelling frantically down the phone and he pressed it back to his ear. "Don. I haven't been shot. I'm fine."

.

.

"Where do you think you're going Jo?" Ed snarled.

She swallowed back the fear and slowly turned to face him. "You're not gonna get away with this. The NYPD and the FBI _will_ catch up with you. You know that."

Ed shot her a furious glare. "Just shut up you bitch!"

.

.

Mac continued to watch the scene unfold, the fear and rage intensifying within him as Ed started to move quickly toward Jo. He wanted nothing more, then to bury a bullet in his chest,

but then what would happen?

He'd have Carl and the other two to take down, and God knows what Gary would do. He might come after him as well. That would make four.

He was hopelessly outnumbered.

He couldn't risk it.

Not when Jo was right in the middle of all this.

_Damn it!_ He was gonna have to sit tight for now.

He forced himself to take a deep, steady breath willing himself to stay calm as he watched Ed jerk Jo violently from the car. "Don where the hell are _you. _I need back up now."

.

.

Don cursed loudly and floored the gas pedal up the muddy bank onto New Road. "Mac. Just stay put and wait for us."

Suddenly he heard Danny's frantic voice. He grabbed the radio and brought it towards him.

"Don! Adam's traced the phone! Mac's a couple of miles South East of our location. We need to take Coyle Lane!" Danny shouted.

A wave of relief swept through Don. "Thank God."

He slammed his phone back on the hands free device. "Mac! We're only a few miles from you. We're on our way so just hang on!"

He turned a sharp left and skidded onto Coyle Lane. He looked out the rear view mirror and was glad he didn't need to get on the radio to the rest of the back up team. The half dozen patrol cars were already following behind Danny.

.

.

Gary Winters charged towards Ed. "Where's Cole?!" He shouted frantically.

Ed watched him pull the rucksack from his back. "You have the vase?"

"Yes." Gary answered in a regretful tone.

Jo yanked herself free of Ed's grip and stared across at Gary in disbelief. "You have the vase in there? What the hell are you doing?!"

Gary met her gaze and immediately she saw the shame and guilt flicker in his eyes. "I . . . I had no choice . . ."

"Very good. You brought me Jo and the vase." Alex Cole interrupted, his voice low and fierce as he walked out of the bunker towards him.

Gary's eyes flashed to Cole. He started toward him, but Sid and Carlton grabbed him and held him back.

Gary frantically tried to get free. "I did what you asked. Now let my wife go!"

Mac's eye's widened. _Oh God. _He ducked lower behind the tree and quickly got back on the phone to Don.

Jo stared angrily at Cole as he walked up to Gary and snatched the ruck sack from his hand. "Get your hands off that vase!" She tried to reach for it, but Ed pulled her back towards him.

Cole slammed his fist into Gary's face with so much force, he flew backwards, hit the ground hard and faded into unconsciousness.

.

.

Jo saw Alex grin maliciously down at Gary and draw his weapon.

"No!" She screamed.

She kicked out at Ed. He grunted in pain and loosened his grip on her and she got free once again.

She went to charge at Cole, but ended up slamming to an abrupt stop, the terror suddenly rising up in her paralysing her completely as she came face to face with Lucas Rohr.

.

.

Mac gripped the phone in his hand and aimed the gun at Cole. "Don. I can't stand by and watch this any longer. If I don't do something now, Gary's gonna be dead and. . ."

He shifted his eyes to Jo and tried to push back the tangled emotions that raged through him as Lucas violently grabbed her and started dragging her back to the bunker.

He could see the fear and pain in her expression, but she was doing a damn good job trying to hide it.

He swallowed into an aching throat. ". . . Lucas Rohr's got Jo. I have to get her away from him."

He tore his eyes from hers and forced his attention back on Cole.

.

.

_Crap! _Don gazed fearfully back at the road. " . . . You're to do nothing until we get there! You hear me? . . . Mac! . . ."

.

.

Mac had already shoved the phone in his pocket and was taking a final glance around the perimeter trying to come up with a quick plan of action.

Damn it! He couldn't plan this.

He was just gonna have to go all out, guns blazing and hope to God Jo would stay unharmed.

.

.

Cole continued to grin maliciously as he aimed his weapon at Gary's head. "This has been a lot of fun, but I'm not in need of this idiot any more."

Suddenly Jo heard the distant sound of sirens. So did Lucas. He slowed to an abrupt stop and momentarily distracted, he loosened his grip on her.

Cole looked up nervously and shouted for his men to fall back.

Mac aimed his gun at Cole and started to squeeze down on the trigger.

Jo wrenched herself free of Lucas and tried to run, but she wasn't fast enough. A scream escaped her lips as Lucas slammed into her from behind and knocked her to the ground.

Pure terror soared through Mac's heart when he heard her cry out and automatically he swung his weapon back to Lucas Rohr.

Lucas grabbed Jo and yanked her viciously onto her back. "You'll never get away from me Jo." he snarled. He drew back his fist and went to hit her across the face.

Suddenly a gun shot resounded in the air and Lucas froze for several seconds, before slowly slumping to the ground beside her, his eyes turning glassy as he breathed his last breath.

She quickly rolled away and stared at the blood as it started seeping through his shirt.

My God. He'd been shot in the chest.

She staggered to her feet and continued to gaze down at him in stunned shock as all hell broke lose around her.

.

.

Mac quickly aimed the weapon back at Cole and was met by his furious glare.

_Damn it. He's seen me._

He cursed under his breath and pressed down on the trigger, but just as he fired the gun, Cole pulled Sid in front of him. The bullet hit Sid square in the stomach.

.

.

Cole started to move back screaming again for his men to get inside as he continued to use Sid as a human shield.

Mac fired at Cole a couple more times, but he couldn't get a clear shot. The bullets just hit Sid instead.

Cole shot at Mac but missed both times. He swore loudly and increased his pace toward the bunker.

.

.

Several more bullets were flying towards Mac now and he had no choice but to move from his current position before _he_ ended up getting shot himself.

He caught sight of Carlton behind an old dilapidated shed pointing his weapon right at him.

Crap!

Mac ducked back as the shot went off and he narrowly missed another bullet. He pushed out an unsteady breath turned back to Carlton and fired. The bullet hit him in the thigh and he went down screaming in agony.

.

.

Slowly, Gary surfaced out of unconsciousness and glanced around in shock as the gun fire resounded in all directions. He went to grab his weapon but his holster was empty.

_Shit!_

He rolled onto his front and searched around for several more seconds, before finally giving up and crawling to relative safety behind some overgrown scrub brush.

He lay back on the cold wet grass, the gun shots continuing to echo around him as Images of Susanna filled his mind and grief clawed through his heart.

Alex Cole had called him on his phone a couple of hours ago. He'd told him that several of his men were at Gary's home holding his wife at gun point and that if he didn't follow Cole's orders she would die immediately.

Cole was out of control, desperate. He'd had no intention of letting him or Susanna go.

Not alive.

Gary had been in the law enforcement long enough to know that for God sake.

He cursed inwardly and swiped away the moisture from his eyes. He'd let his emotions get the better of him. There was a strong possibility that Susanna was probably dead and now he'd gone and put Jo and Mac's life in danger.

_My God. What have I done?_

_._

_._

A wave of relief swept through Jo when she heard the faint sound of car engines in the distance. _Police Cruisers,_ but she still couldn't make out who Cole and his men were shooting at behind the small tree line.

She ducked back down and tentatively pulled Lucas gun from his jacket pocket.

Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her and she whirled around. Her breath stalled in her throat when she saw Ed surging towards her.

She dived behind a tree stump as a bullet from his gun whizzed passed her ear.

She thought she might throw up any second, but she swallowed back the nausea. The fear. And tried to ignore the pain that was now clawing it's way through her body.

_C'mon Jo. Focus._

She forced out a shallow breath, jumped to her feet and fired.

Both bullets hit Ed clean in the chest and he collapsed to the ground less than 3 feet from her.

Releasing another shaky breath, she tore her gaze from him as he sank into unconsciousness, and quickly glanced back toward the small woodland.

Her eyes widened when she saw someone appear from behind the tree line.

She blinked back the tears.

_Mac?. . . My God It's. . . Mac! _

Her heart froze when she caught sight of Carl aiming his weapon at him.

"No!"

She swung the gun at Carl and fired at him so fast, he didn't have a chance to get off a shot.

.

.

Cole stopped dead in his tracks when Carl went down. He whirled around and saw Jo. "So that's where you were hiding?" he growled.

He threw Sid's lifeless, blood soaked body to one side and carefully started to move around the old log hut towards her.

.

.

Mac spun around and saw Carl stagger several steps toward him, before finally falling face down on the ground.

He turned back quickly and saw Jo clutching a gun tightly in her hand and aiming it shakily at Carl's body.

Gezuz. He hadn't even seen him. She'd just saved his life . . . again.

He met her gaze and immediately noticed that she was in a lot of pain. She wasn't hiding it well now . . . and she looked so damn pale.

His eyes widened in fear when she staggered backwards.

_My God. She's still . . . really sick. _

He took off and started sprinting towards her. "Jo! Just hang on! I'm coming!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of movement to his left.

Quickly, he glanced around and saw Cole moving toward her.

Terror and rage ignited like a fireball within him. Cole was barely 30 metres from her position. "JO! GET OUT OF THERE!" He shouted frantically.

.

.

She followed Mac's gaze and froze when she saw Cole charging toward her, but Mac's frantic shouts forced her into action and she took off running as fast as she could toward several old Oaks.

.

.

Mac pointed his gun at Cole and fired another shot. It went wide. He went to shoot again but realised he was now out of bullets. He cursed loudly, threw the gun to the ground and started to run towards Cole.

.

.

She was only half way to the Oaks when her legs started to turn to jello, threatening to fold under her.

She staggered to a stop unable to go on and turned unsteadily, grasping the weapon in both hands.

All she could see now were the little white dots circling in front of her eyes, but she aimed the gun in roughly the same direction she'd seen Cole seconds earlier and fired the shot.

.

.

Mac saw Cole dive behind some rocks. Damn it. The bullet had missed, but at least it had slowed Cole down giving him a chance to catch up to him.

.

.

In pure, focused rage Cole charged around the next boulder and raced off after Jo once again, not realising that Mac was close behind.

.

.

The sun had faded and night had now crept onto the rugged terrain. Don turned a sharp left, the sweat beading on his forehead as his vehicle bounced over the ruts and ridges.

He skidded to a stop at the end of the isolated dirt road, yanked on his vest and jumped out of the car, his weapon already drawn and trained straight ahead.

He sighed inwardly as he scanned the woodland. What he wouldn't give for a pair of night vision goggles right about now.

.

.

Danny skidded to a stop behind Don and dived out of his vehicle. He moved quickly toward him, not taking his eyes off the tree line for a second.

Suddenly he heard the sound of gun fire. He dashed passed Don and pointed to his right. "This way!" he shouted.

.

.

Gary released a long, shuddering breath. He swallowed back the regret. The heart ache. Tried to push the taunting images from his mind.

Suddenly becoming aware of the silence around him, he forced himself to sit up and quickly and glanced through the brush.

Gezuz Christ. Carl and Carlton were laying dead just several feet from him.

His eyes flashed across to his car. Jo was nowhere to be seen, but Ed and that bastard Lucas Rohr had also been shot.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his head, he forced himself to his feet and staggered out of the brush. He came to an abrupt stop, his eyes widening when he saw Mac chasing Cole across the large opening toward the furthest stretch of woodland.

He noticed the weapon in Cole's hand and gazed anxiously back at Mac. He was unarmed. What was he trying to do? Get himself killed?

Then Gary caught sight of Jo lying in the overgrown grass and fear tightened his chest when he realised that Cole was heading straight for her.

"Shit!" Gary spun around and cursed several more times as he frantically started searching for a gun.

.

.

Cole was less than 10 metres from Jo, when he heard footsteps behind him. He spun around and managed to block the blow just in time, but Mac got his foot under Cole and threw his weight into the move sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Mac ignored the eye searing pain as he fell on his bruised and battered body, and slamming his fist up he connected with bone, but he'd miscalculated the strength rage would bring Cole and it was he who screamed out in pain when Cole's fist slammed into his broken ribs.

When Mac's vision cleared Cole was standing above him, his weapon aimed at Mac's chest.

.

.

"That's a very clever stunt you played, escaping the bunker Mac. Very impressive and I have to say, it's been fantastic taking you down once again. Reminds me how superior I am."

The smile vanished from Cole's face and fury burned in his eyes. "But I've had enough of you now. You try to spoil everything. Everything! Well that's not gonna happen any more. . ." He spat bitterly. ". . . because I'm gonna send you to hell!"

He started to squeeze down on the trigger and the evil, perverse smile returned to his lips. "I'm taking Jo Mac, and you can't stop me. No one can. So say goodbye to . . ."

.

.

"NO!" Mac yelled out, the fear and rage consuming him as he kicked upward with what strength he had left and knocked the gun out of Cole's hand.

Cole hesitated for a split second and it gave Mac enough time to kick out again.

The second blow caught Cole at the knees and he staggered backwards.

Mac pushed himself up and dived for Cole's weapon, but before he could grab it a gun shot rang out.

He whirled around just in time to see Cole scream out in agony and collapse to the ground clutching at his leg.

Mac turned back quickly and found himself staring across at Gary who was now standing above Cole aiming a gun at his chest.

.

.

Don, Danny and the rest of the back up come charging through the tree line. Don skidded to a sudden stop and Danny nearly slammed into the back of him.

"Don, for God sake . . ." Danny stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the four bodies scattered around the small opening in the trees directly in front of him.

He quickly started scanning the perimeter and fear tightened his chest. "I don't see Mac . . . or Jo."

.

.

Don pointed to his left. "That's Gary's car and I can see Lucas Rohr. He looks dead to me, but where's that sonofabitch Cole?" He growled.

Danny's eyes widened. "Jesus. That's his base?"

Don followed Danny's gaze and muttered a curse when he caught sight of the bunker. "Cole must have taken Mac . . ." He stopped mid-sentence and looked up quickly when a scream of rage ripped through the air.

He released a long, relieved breath when he saw Mac and Carl a couple of hundred metres away standing in the middle of another larger, more open expanse of rough terrain up ahead.

Danny moved passed Don. "I can see Cole. He's down. It looks like he's been shot."

Don tore his eyes from Cole and watched Mac stagger forward several metres, before sinking to his knees.

He frowned, grabbed the binoculars and peered through.

His throat suddenly constricted to the size of a very thin straw when he managed to make out Jo in the darkness lying motionlessly in the long grass. "Crap! We need Paramedics here now!"

.

.

Danny saw the fear and panic in Don's eyes. He snatched the binoculars off him and stared through them, the shock intensifying on his face, as Don quickly got on the radio to the ambulance and started shouting off orders at the back up teams.

.

.

Jo barely saw his face as he dropped beside her but she knew it was him. She could feel his warm body as he gathered her up and rocked her in his arms. "Mac . . ." her voice trailed off and she closed her eyes, too tired to say another word.

.

.

Gently, Mac lifted her higher so that he could sit down with her resting against him. He lowered his lips to her brow. "Shh. It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay." he soothed.

She tried to move but the pain soared through her and a moan escaped her clenched teeth. "Where's . . . Cole?"

"We got him Jo. It's alright. It's over." He held onto her and stroked her hair back from her damp face. "Don't squirm. It'll only cause you more discomfort."

She slowly opened her eyes. Her vision had cleared slightly and she stared up in shock when she saw Mac's bruised and bloodied face. His shirt was also soaked in blood.

A tear escaped her eyelid. "He hurt you . . . He could . . . have . . . killed you."

"But he didn't." Mac cut in quickly.

"This is all my fau. . ."

Quickly, he pressed his finger gently to her lips and shook his head sternly at her. "I don't ever want to hear you say that again." he whispered.

She felt Mac's lips brush over her hair and she closed her eyes as the pain eased away into numbness. "I love you."

Mac released a long, shuddering breath. _My God. I could have lost her today._

The thought terrified him and he drew her closer, too afraid to let her go as moisture filled his own eyes.

"I love you too Jo. . . I love you so much."

.

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**HMM! WILL THEY FIND KYE? AND WILL HE BE ALIVE IF THEY DO?**_

_**IS GARY WINTERS WIFE SUSANNA STILL ALIVE?**_

_**AND OF COURSE WE STILL HAVE ALOT OF THIS STORY TO GO. I'LL BE DEALING WITH HOW EVERYONE TRIES TO MOVE ON FROM THIS; **_

_**HOW IT EFFECTS MAC AND JO'S RELATIONSHIP. . . AND CHRISTINE WILL BE BACK. AND EVEN IF TURNS OUT GARY'S WIFE IS SAVED FROM THE BAD GUYS, HE'LL STILL HAVE TO COME TO TERMS WITH HIS ACTIONS. **_

_**WE'LL ALSO HAVE SOME JO AND COLIN SMITH/BAXTER SCENES, SO STILL LOTS TO COME. :)**_

_**NEXT CHAPTER UP TUESDAY OR IT MIGHT END UP BEING WEDNESDAY NIGHT BECAUSE WE'RE PARTYING AT NEW YEAR AND I MIGHT NEED A DAY OFF WRITING ON TUESDAY IF I'M NURSING A HANGOVER LOL!**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**HEY ;)**_

_**SO I HAVE THIS CHAPTER UP A DAY LATE BUT IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HAVING A HANG OVER ON NEW YEARS DAY. I ACTUALLY FOUND IT REALLY HARD TO WRITE. I FIND WRITING ACTION SCENES MUCH EASIER. **_

_**ANYWAY. I HOPE IT'S OKAY.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**What happened at the end of the previous chapter.**_

.

.

_A tear escaped Jo's eyelid. "He hurt you. . . He could have. . .killed you."_

"_But he didn't." Mac cut in._

"_This is all my fau. . ."_

_Quickly he pressed a finger to her lips. "I don't ever want to hear you say that again." he whispered._

_She felt Mac's lips brush over her hair and she closed her eyes as the pain eased away into dumbness. "I love you."_

_Mac released a long shuddering breath. He could have lost her today. The thought terrified him and he drew her closer too afraid to let her go. "I love you too Jo. . .I love you so much."_

_._

_._

_**CHAPTER 18.**_

.

.

The Ambulance drew up a little further along Coyle Lane and the paramedics dashed out with several stretchers and caught up with the team as they raced toward Mac, Jo and Gary.

Layton ran up to Gary. "Hey buddy. Give me the gun. We've got this covered."

"No." he shouted angrily. The weapon started to tremble in his hand, his finger resting on the trigger as he continued to aim at Cole.

Layton forced out a steady breath and stepped in front of him. "Harry Grayson's team are at your home now."

Gary's eyes flashed to his. "Susanna?" he asked shakily.

"They took them down. Susanna's a little shaken up, but she's safe now."

He stared at Layton for several seconds trying to process the information. "She's. . . okay?"

"Yea, but she's scared. She needs you." Layton reached out and carefully grasped the gun. "We don't want this sonofabitch dead. We want him to rot in prison right?"

For a long, immeasurable moment Gary looked back down at Cole, then slowly he loosened his grip on the weapon.

Layton whisked it away and a split second later two officers were hauling Cole off the ground and dragging him away in hand cuffs as he cursed obscenities at them.

One of the other officers carefully picked the rucksack off the ground and anxiously peered inside. He released a long relieved breath. "It doesn't look damaged."

Matt jogged up to Gary and scanned him for injuries. "You've got a gash across your forehead. You okay?"

"I'm fine." He started to move passed him. "I need to get home."

Matt reached out and grabbed his arm. "I'll drive you."

Gary sighed heavily, then nodded and they started to run back to Matt's car.

.

.

Mac had refused to let Jo go for the second time of asking and Don and Danny exchanged concerned glances.

Don released a heavy breath and crouched in front of him "Mac. She's still getting over a severe infection. We need to get her back to the hospital."

Slowly Mac started to come to his senses. He blinked twice and quickly glanced back down at her. "She's . . . burning up."

One of the paramedics sank down beside him and placed his hand on her forehead. "She's not well. We need to take her now." He reached out for her.

"No! I've. . . got her." Mac lifted her in his arms and reluctantly lowered her onto the stretcher.

Danny released a long, pent up breath and got to his feet.

Don stood up with Mac and noticed him stagger forward slightly. "I think you need a stretcher too."

"I'm fine. I can walk." He took a few steps forward but suddenly everything started spinning around him.

Don shot forward and grabbed his arm. "Mac? You don't look too good."

"I said . . . I'm . . ." He stopped dead in his tracks as a sharp, burning pain slammed through his lower chest. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breath. Gasping for air, he tried to take another step, but his legs started to buckle from under him.

"Mac?!" Don moved quickly behind him as he started to fall and a paramedic was there in a split second helping Don lower him to the ground.

Another two paramedics charged toward them with another stretcher and carefully lifted Mac onto it.

The paramedic ripped open Mac's shirt and Don's eye's widened when he saw the large, dark purple discolouration across his body.

Danny swallowed hard and glanced back at the paramedics. "He's bleeding internally."

"Yes. We need to get him to the hospital straight away."

"Crap!" Quickly Don started to get to his feet, but Mac reached out and weakly gripped his arm. "Kye's somewhere . . . in the . . . bunker. . . I . . .couldn't find him."

"It's okay." he answered breathlessly. "The back up teams are searching the bunker now. They'll find him."

Mac's hand dropped away from Don's arm and the darkness swallowed him.

.

.

_**An Hour Later.**_

Danny and Lindsay slammed through the swinging doors and rushed around the corner to the waiting area.

Don heard them coming and moved quickly towards them. "Jo's gonna be okay right?" he asked anxiously.

Adam and Sheldon dived out of their seats and bolted up to them.

"She's gonna be fine." Lindsay replied.

Adam skidded to a stop and took a deep relieved breath.

Don sank against the wall. "Thank God." he whispered.

"Have you heard anything yet?" Danny asked hesitantly.

Sheldon sighed inwardly. "The doctor updated us on Mac's condition a few minutes ago. He's in surgery now."

Lindsay swallowed back the lump in her throat and sank down into the seat behind her.

"He suffered a Haemothorax. They successfully managed to drain the blood from his lungs but he's now undergoing . . . further surgery.

Lindsay's eyes flashed back at his. "What?"

"Why?" Danny asked fearfully.

"He has internal damage to his liver."

Lindsay continued to gaze wide eyed at Sheldon. "But he's gonna be okay?"

Adam turned away and sighed heavily.

"The doctor . . .can't guarantee anything at the moment. Mac's weak. He's lost a lot of blood." Sheldon dragged a hand through his hair and started to walk back to the chair. "We just need to wait until there's further news."

Don changed the subject quickly. "The back up teams rounded up the rest of those scum bags. There were 32 of them in the bunker. Apparently there was one hell of a gun fight." He stopped abruptly and turned away. _Damn it. Now I'm gonna_ have _to tell him. _He took a deep breath and started to pace. "We lost . . . Mike, Sam and . . . Cal."

Lindsay glanced up at Don in stunned shock. "Cal . . .Vaughan?"

He dragged a hand through his hair and nodded numbly.

She jumped out of her chair and moved quickly to Danny.

Slowly Don met Danny's grief stricken gaze. "Kye Simmonds was also found dead." he murmured quietly.

For a long silent moment, Danny gazed across at Don in disbelief. Finally he forced out the next words. "I . . .need some air."

Don watched him whirl around and take off up the corridor with Lindsay on his heels. He muttered a curse and kicked the wall behind him.

"Don? How long had Danny known Cal Vaughan?" Adam asked quietly.

"Since Police Academy." he sighed.

.

.

_**Eighteen Hours Later.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

Slowly Mac surfaced out of unconsciousness and immediately he became aware of a hand holding his. "Jo?"

She forced back the anger and willed herself to calm down. "No. It's me silly."

His eyes shot open and he found himself staring up at Christine. He quickly pulled his hand away from hers, the sudden movement sending a sharp, excruciating pain tearing through his chest.

Her eyes widened and she reached across Mac for the call alarm, but he grabbed it before she could press the button.

_Damn it. I'm in the hospital._ He glanced back at her. "What . . .are you. . . doing here?"

She gave him a confused look and chuckled. "Coming to see you of course. When I heard about what happened I got here as quickly as I could." Her smile faded. "My God Mac you scared me. I thought that . ."

"How long have I been here." He interrupted impatiently.

She frowned and forced back the sudden irritation. "They brought you in last night, so . . .about 12-14 hours ago? You needed surgery." She leaned towards him, her smile returning as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Now that this is all over we can get back to . . ."

Mac grabbed her arm and clenched his jaw shut as another bout of pain slammed through his stomach. "Where's . . . Jo?"

Angrily Christine stared down at him and pulled her arm from his grip. "You need to forget about her Mac. She's no good for you."

He glared furiously at her. "Get the hell out of here and . . . don't come back."

Her expression softened. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be angry with you. You're not yourself." She leaned towards him once again and brought her lips close to his. "I'm gonna leave you to rest and come see you tomorrow."

She went to kiss him, but Mac managed to muster up enough strength to push her away. "I'm not . . . interested Christine. . . stay . . . away from me!"

Don came flying through the door and glared angrily across at her. "If you step foot in this room again, I'll have you arrested! Now get out of here!" he shouted.

Christine's eyes widened. "You can't do that!"

"Try me."

Enraged, she moved away from Mac and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Mac's ribs screamed out in pain and he sank back onto the pillows gasping painfully for breath.

Don ran towards the bed and anxiously gazed down at him. "You okay?"

Feeling more than a little agitated, Mac snatched the call alarm from Don's hand and dropped it over the side of the bed. "I'm fine. Just tell me Jo's okay?"

"She is," he answered quickly. "She's responding to the antibiotics and she should be well enough to go home in a few days."

A wave of relief swept through him and he was finally able to take a steady breath. "That's . . . good."

"You need some pain relief. Let me call the doctor."

Mac fixed Don with a stern stare. "I said I'm fine." He looked down and noticed the bandaged area below his chest. He cursed inwardly. "What did I need surgery for?"

Don sighed and lowered himself onto the chair beside his bed. "You had a Haemothorax and internal damage to your liver. They managed to repair the organ so you live to fight another day. . . Mac Taylor . . ." He slowly glanced back at him. "You gonna tell me what's going on with Christine?"

"That's personal."

"Before she came to see you, she told me the two of you were . . . together."

Mac gazed angrily back at him. "I ended it with Christine. We are _not_ together any more. She just won't accept it."

Don raised his eye brows at him. "So, she's harassing you. I can have her arrested . . ."

"No!" he interrupted quickly. "I can . . . handle this."

Don continued to gaze at him for several more seconds before slowly leaning back in the seat. "Okay fine. I think I'll keep an eye on her any way."

Mac rolled his eyes and turned away. A long silent moment stretched between them before he spoke again. "We did get Cole this time right?" he murmured quietly.

"We got him. He's already been moved to New Jersey State Prison and he'll be sentenced in the next few days. We found another 32 in the bunker. They're currently under interrogation back at the FBI."

Mac's eyes flashed back at his. "The FBI have them?"

"It's okay. The half a dozen crooked agents have been sifted out, and the FBI is up and running as normal again." Don assured him.

Mac released a long, pent up breath. "Fine." he muttered.

He glanced away for a minute. "What about Lucas Rohr?" he asked quietly.

"He's dead but you already know that right?" Don gazed steadily back at him pausing for a second before he continued. "We found the bullet in his chest. Turns out it came from the gun you was using."

The rage slammed through Mac as Images of Rohr tore through his mind. "Yea. I shot the bastard. I was just checking I aimed right." he spat bitterly. He glanced up at the ceiling and forced himself to calm down. "Did you . . . find Kye?"

_Crap! _Don swallowed hard as deep regret slammed through his chest."Yea, he . . . he was in a small room at the back of the bunker. . . He'd been . . . dead for a few days."

Mac closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. "My God." He whispered.

Slowly, Don rose out of the seat and started pacing around the room.

Immediately Mac knew he was keeping something from him. He could see it in his eyes. "What aren't you telling me?"

Don slowed to a stop and met his intense gaze. "They're was a . . . gun fight back at the bunker. We . . . lost Mike Cartwright, Sam Pierce and Cal Vaughan."

Mac's eyes widened. "Does . . . Jo know?"

He sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. "She was mad when I told her about what happened to Russ. She said we should have told her sooner. Then she demanded I tell her everything else, so . . . I did. She knows everything now"

Mac muttered under his breath and collapsed back onto the pillows.

"Now she won't talk to anyone. Not even a visit from the hospital psychiatrist has helped.. . ." Don stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Mac struggling to get out of the bed. "Jesus Mac. What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to see Jo."

His eyes widened. "Are you crazy? She's on the next floor. You won't even make it out of this room before you collapse to the floor."

Another sharp, intense pain shot through Mac as he tried to stand up and it only took several seconds before his legs felt like they were gonna buckle under him.

He sunk back on the bed and cursed loudly. "Fine!" He glanced resignedly back at Don. "Go and find me a damn wheel chair."

.

.

Jo was staring glumly at the soup in front of her when she heard her door open. She glanced up quickly, her breath stalling in her throat when she saw Don pushing Mac into her room.

"Hey. Thought you might like a visitor."

She tore her eyes from Don and met Mac's gaze. She swallowed into an aching throat and slowly pushed the food tray away. "What are you . . . doing here. You've just had a major operation."

Mac rolled towards her. "I'll be fine. I'm just a bit sore. That's all."

.

.

Christine walked out of the hospital canteen and along the corridor. She came to an abrupt stop outside Jo's door and her eye's widened. _Mac?. . . No! _Pure, focused anger slammed through her when she saw him reach out and take her hand.

.

.

Don glanced across at Jo and Mac. He cleared his throat. "I'll be . . . outside." He turned quickly and started to walk towards the door.

.

.

In a fit of rage, Christine threw her cup of coffee into the bin next to her, and took off around the corner, before Don could see her.

.

.

Jo slowly pulled her hand away from his. "You shouldn't be out of bed. You'll rip your stitches."

Mac sighed inwardly and looked back at her food. "And you should be eating everything on that tray. Your body needs the nutrients."

She smiled faintly and gazed back at the food. "I've had enough."

"You've hardly touched it."

Her smile faded. "I feel . . . sick all the time. I can't seem to . . . keep anything down."

He rolled his chair closer and reached for her hand again.

She shifted back until she was was pressed right up against the pillows.

He released a heavy sigh. "You've been through a lot. It'll take some time. . ."

Her eyes flashed to his. "_I've_ been through a lot?" She interrupted angrily. "What about you. . . What about Russ. You could both be dead now, just like . . . Kye and . . ." She stopped abruptly and tried to push back the heartache but she couldn't stop the stray tear from rolling down her cheek. "I. . .need to be alone."

Mac reached forward. She froze suddenly as he moved his hand toward her face and gently brushed the tear away with his thumb. "It's not good to be alone." he answered softly.

"I'm . . . fine. You can't be worrying about me right now. You need to be back in your room . . ."

Ignoring the pain, Mac started to push himself up out of the chair.

Jo's eyes widened. "What are you doing. . .you're gonna fall."

Clumsily, he grabbed the mattress, turned awkwardly and dropped down on the edge of her bed.

"Mac. You're hurting yourself." She reached for the call alarm.

She felt him circle her wrist lightly. Fearfully, she whirled back around and met his intense gaze.

"I'm . . . okay."

She released a long, shaky breath and looked away. "I'm . . . so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. . ."

Cursing inwardly, he gripped her shoulders and turned her back to face him. "Jo. Stop this . . ."

She pulled away from him. "No! . . .You don't understand. . . That night when I was hiding out in Sound View Park, I . . . hacked the FBI Database and found some old printed documents about a burglary that happened at my fathers house just before I was born. That's when I found out . . . a vase belonging to my father had gone missing."

Mac released her shoulders, his eyes widening. "You knew?"

She swallowed into a dry throat and forced back the tears. "Yes. I made myself believe it was nothing but a coincidence and started doing some digging around into Cain Jackson's family history instead." She breathed in a breath for courage and continued. "I came across some Emails from an old account of his and discovered that Cain Jackson's Cousin Owen Fuller was working at the Paul Kasmin Gallery. He'd been there since August 2002."

He inhaled deeply and stared across at the wall in front of him._ Damn it._

"When I . . . saw the DNA results at Colin Smith's apartment, I . . . realised that Cole was not just after _a_ vase. He was after my father's vase. I was going to . . . head back to Sound View Park and grab some equipment, before driving to the Gallery and searching the place. If I found the vase I would have . . . destroyed it, but . . . you caught up with me."

He turned back to her. "Why the hell didn't you tell us?" he asked, the frustration now evident in his voice.

Jo blinked back the tears from her eyelids. "I decided to tell you and Russ the next day, when I thought we were on our way to Sound View Park to meet him, but. . . as you know . . . we didn't get there." She pushed back the rising nausea and closed her eyes. "I screwed up and now Kye, Mike and Sam are. . ."

Mac released a long, pent up breath and cut in quickly. "Jo look at me."

She continued to stare down at the blankets.

"Please."

She released a long, shaky breath and slowly glanced back at Mac.

"You didn't shoot Kye, Sam or Mike Jo. Alex Cole did."

"But if I'd told you everything back at Colin's apartment . . ."

"You're saying that if you'd come forward with this information it would have stopped Kye, Sam and Mike being killed?"

"Yes. . . ." She looked away. " . . .I do."

"Well I don't."

She turned back quickly and raised her voice at him. "I don't want to talk about this any more Mac! I want you to leave!"

He forced himself to calm down."Okay. Jo just listen to me a minute. Even if we'd found the vase before Gulliver. We wouldn't have let the FBI know about it and we certainly wouldn't have found out that Gulliver was a bad guy in that short space of time, so I think things would have still played out the same way back at the FBI building.

And another thing? Your information would _not_ have confirmed there were over a dozen crooked Agents working for Cole and so we still wouldn't have had any idea that Carl Bertrum was lying to us that morning. We still would have driven into their trap Jo."

"Mac . . ."

"I haven't finished."

Jo sighed heavily and looked away.

"And lastly? You didn't know where Alex Cole's main base was, did you?"

She shot him a stubborn look. "No, but you can't just predict what would, and what wouldn't have happened. . ."

"No I can't. No one can. Not even you."

"I . . .I'm not. . . I just. . ." Her voice trailed off and fresh tears filled her eyes.

"Let it go Jo." He held out his arms to her. "Please. . . just let it go." he pleaded. His voice cracked slightly when he noticed the shame and guilt flicker in her eyes, and a mix of relief and despair gripped his heart as he watched her slowly start to crumble before him.

She couldn't hold back the pain any longer. She launched herself at Mac and clung to him unable to hold back the sobs as the tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

Mac drew her closer, suddenly overwhelmed by the sudden deluge of his own raw emotions sweeping through him as she continued to break in his arms.

He pressed his cheek to hers and stroked her hair. "Shh. It's okay. . . you're gonna be okay." he whispered shakily.

.

.

Don tore his eyes from Jo and quickly moved away from her door. Suddenly he heard footsteps and looked up.

_Crap! It's Lindsay._

He took a deep, unsteady breath, turned his back on her and frantically blinked back the wetness around his eyelids.

Lindsay circled around him and came to an abrupt stop. "Don. Are you okay?"

"Yea I'm . . . fine." he answered quickly.

She frowned. "Is Jo all right?"

He became very still, his eye's slowly widening. "I . . . don't really know. . . I've never seen her . . . like _this_."

Lindsay's eyes widened. "Like what?" She asked anxiously.

She didn't wait for Don to answer. She dashed to Jo's door and reached for the handle, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw them through the glass.

She released a long, relieved breath and glanced back at him.

"Should I get a doctor?" Don asked nervously.

Lindsay rolled her eyes at him and smiled. "She's gonna be fine Don. They both are."

.

.

_**OKAY. . . SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER YET. I HAD ENOUGH TROUBLE WRITING THIS ONE. LOL.**_

.

.


	19. Chapter 19

_**HEY ;0)**_

_**HOPE YOU ARE ALL WELL.**_

_**OKAY . . . SO THIS CHAPTER HAS SOME ACTION AND IT'S A LITTLE TENSE. LOL.**_

_**PLEASE R&R. ;D**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**CHAPTER 19.**_

.

.

.

Jo entered Mac's room with a broad smile across her face. "Hi."

"Hey. You look bright and cheery this morning."

"That's because I've just been discharged."

Mac's smile faded. "You're leaving hospital?"

"Yep."

Locking Jo away in his bathroom suite was a pretty damn appealing idea right about now. "Where's Don?"

She started to turn around. "He's . . ."

"I'm right here."

Mac's eyes flashed to the door and met Don's gaze.

Don sighed inwardly when he saw the unease in Mac's expression. He understood why. Although they'd rounded up the rest of Cole's men from the bunker that night, it still wasn't a certainty they'd got them all. However, so far there was no evidence to suggest otherwise. "I'm taking Jo back to her apartment. I'll . . . keep an eye on things."

_Oh God._ Jo released a long, pent up breath and fixed Don with a stern stare. "I don't need a body guard."

He gazed steadily back at her and said nothing.

She turned around to Mac and immediately noticed the concern flickering in his eyes. "For God sake guys. I'm a CSI Detective and I'm quite capable of looking after myself."

Mac shifted his eyes back to Don and they exchanged knowing glances. Don had reassured Mac yesterday that he would make sure a Cruiser drove passed her building every hour for the next couple of weeks whilst the Police Department double checked there weren't any more of Cole's goon's lose out there.

There was one piece of good news though; those who'd already been caught were now locked up in New Jersey State Prison and after undergoing some intense interrogation back at the FBI these last few days, Cole would soon be joining them.

Finally he took a breath and glanced back at her. "Don. I need to talk to Jo alone."

"Sure. I'll . . . be outside." Don quickly backed out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Jo gave Mac a dry look. "You're being over protective you know."

Mac patted the bed. "C'mere." he said quietly.

She hesitated for several seconds before walking slowly towards him and perching on the edge of his bed. "I don't want you worrying abut me Mac. I'm okay now."

He moved closer and took her hand in his. "Jo." His tone was quiet, his hands gentle but firm. "Of course I'm gonna worry about you. I love you."

She tore her eyes from his and took a sharp intake of breath. She knew she loved him too, but after everything that had happened? Could this still work between them?

She released her hand from his but she swore she could still feel his touch. Could feel it in places he'd touched her that wonderful night they were together.

With a sudden rush of heat flaring inside her, she drew back quickly and got to her feet. "I'm off then. I'll be back later. You want me to bring you some pizza? . . ."

He cursed inwardly. "Jo wait."

She turned back and smiled "Yes?"

"Do you trust me?"

She froze to the spot and he saw that uncomfortable guilt flicker in her eyes once again.

It was wrong to pretend that everything was al right between them just to escape his scrutiny, but she didn't want to upset him and this was hardly the place to continue this discussion. She hesitated a second. _You idiot. How could you not trust him? _She forced her gaze back to his. "Of . . .course I do."

He sighed inwardly and decided to change the subject. "You got your new cell phone right?"

She forced back the frustration and pulled it out of her pocket. "Here it is. And yes. I will call Don_ If_ I need him. Now I've got to go. Don's waiting."

She started to turn toward the door.

"Oh. And you have two weeks leave before you go back to work."

She stopped dead in her tracks and whirled back to face him. "Two weeks?"

"Two weeks." he repeated calmly.

"But . . .I can start back on Monday."

He gave her a long level look. "Two weeks Jo."

"Mac. I'm physically fit now."

He released a long heavy breath. "Not quite and you need to go through the Mandatory Counselling Sessions."

"What?"

"Work Policy remember?"

_Damn it._ "I've talked to a therapist here in the hospital already."

"You had two out of the four sessions and apparently you hardly spoke in either of them Jo."

Cursing under her breath, she closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. Finally she met his serious gaze. "Okay fine."

"Danielle Jennings has Emailed you the times of the sessions, so check your inbox when you get home."

She nodded numbly. "See you later then." she sighed and started for the door once again.

Mac reached out and grabbed her hand. "Be safe okay?"

She gazed down at him for several seconds and gave him her best reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. You just concentrate on getting better."

.

.

He was sitting in the prison van, wearing the orange prison uniform, his ankles and wrists shackled as he stared menacingly across at the two FBI Officers.

Layton glared at him when he saw a ghost of a smile cross his face. "I don't know why you're acting so smug. You've got a life sentence you moron."

Cole said nothing. He just continued to stare back at them with that slightly amused look in his expression.

Feeling more than a little irritated, Jimmy grabbed the radio. "Matt. We nearly there yet? I'm getting sick of sitting in here with this scum bag,"

Cole grinned maliciously and looked away.

Ray chuckled quietly to himself as Matt brought the radio toward him. "We're heading west on Johnson Street. Shouldn't take longer than ten minutes now."

"Thank God for that. I thought our night shift would never end." Jim muttered wearily.

"Tell me about it." Layton rubbed the ache settling in the back of his neck and started checking his phone for messages.

.

.

Russ glanced through the rear view mirror at the Prison Van following behind as he turned into Harper Road.

Chris looked out the front windscreen as the sun disappeared behind some heavier clouds and smiled as the first fat raindrops splattered, raising dust on the landscape around them. "Finally, some rain. It's been so damn hot this summer it's like a desert out here."

"Hopefully it will get rid of the humid air. I'm sweating buckets." Russ added with a heavy sigh.

Chris glanced back at him and sighed inwardly. "You're supposed to be signed off work for another two weeks. If the boss catches you . . ."

"I'm fine Chris so stop fussing will you?!" Russ interrupted irritably.

He sighed inwardly and gazed back at the road. "Fine, but I'm driving back okay?"

Russ rolled his eyes. "On one condition. You stop asking me how I am every five minutes." He muttered.

"That's a deal." Suddenly Chris heard what sounded like a rumbling sound. He leaned forward in his seat and frowned. "Did you hear that?"

"Thunder. Nice. It'll be _pouring_ buckets soon."

Slowly the smile vanished from his face. "It's not thunder." His eyes widened slightly as he glanced up at the sky. "It's a . . .chopper."

Russ's eyes flashed to his. "A what?"

Chris quickly pulled open the glove compartment and grabbed the binoculars.

Russ slowed the car and glanced out of the window. "That's . . . not a Police chopper."

"No. It isn't," he replied anxiously as he peered through the binoculars. "There's a massive metal clamp hanging from it and It's heading this way."

Russ's eye's widened in fear when he saw it. "Crap! It's gonna pick up the bloody van!"

The radio started to crackle as he quickly brought it toward him. "Matt! There's a Chopper . . ." _Oh God._ He forced back the panic as it came tearing across the sky. "It's nearly above you!. . . Matt? . . . Ray! Answer me damn it!"

Chris stared fearfully at his Cell. "My phone's not working. Our communication's have been disabled!"

Swearing loudly, Russ hit the brakes and skidded the car to a stop at the side of the road, then they drew their weapons, jumped out of the vehicle and started firing at the chopper.

Zach who'd been following behind the Prison Van, also slammed his foot on the brakes and brought his vehicle to a shuddering stop behind Russ.

He jumped out of his car and watched in shock as Ray sped up the road trying everything he could to steer the van out of the choppers way.

He scanned the landscape and the mix of fear and rage intensified within him. There was no cover; no wooded area Ray could head for, just flat, open space.

His eyes shot back to the van as it skidded to a sudden stop and a split second later the driver and passenger doors flew open. A wave of relief swept through him when Matt and Ray jumped out of the van and dived for safety.

The chopper started to shoot passed the Prison Van, but even at this accelerated speed the pilot had managed to bring the chopper low enough and with such amazing precision that Immediately the clamp slammed onto the roof of the vehicle, clasping it in a vice like grip.

"NO!" Matt pushed himself off the ground and started running toward the van.

"Layton! Jimmy! Get out of there!" He shouted frantically

Suddenly the chopper lifted the van off the ground. It started hurtling towards him and Matt dived out of the way once again as the vehicle came within centimetres of slamming into him.

Enraged, Russ forced himself to stop shooting and they all stared up at the sky in total shock as the Chopper soared away with the Prison van, disappearing from sight behind the distant rocks.

.

.

Twenty minutes later, Don pulled into a vacant parking spot outside Jo's apartment building.

He turned off the engine and reached around for her bag on the back seat. "I'll help you in with this."

She grabbed her bag and whisked it away from him. "It's one bag Don. I can manage." Her tone softened slightly. "Thanks for the lift by the way."

"No problem. I'll walk up with you."

"Don please. I'd rather just go on my own."

He met her determined gaze. "Why do you always have to be so damn independent?"

A faint smile crossed her face. "See ya Don."

He watched her climb out of his car and walk across the road towards the building. _Damn it._ He quickly opened his window."Jo!"

She came to an abrupt stop on the side walk and glanced back at him.

"Text me a smiley when you get into your apartment!" He called out.

An exasperated look flickered in her eyes. "Are you serious?!"

"Just do it for me!"

She shook her head at him, turned and continued towards the building. "Fine!" she called back.

Don released another long breath and leaned back in his seat as he watched her disappear through the front entrance. "For God sake Don. Just relax will ya?" He muttered to himself.

.

.

The lift stopped at Jo's floor. _Okay_ . . ._Stairs from now on Jo. . . Stairs are safer. _

The guy frowned at her as she dashed out of the lift. "Er . . . Are okay?"

"I'm fine." she kept her head down, cursing inwardly at the shakiness in her voice.

He stood in the lift for several seconds, slightly baffled as she shot off around the corner, then shrugged his shoulders and hit the button for his floor.

Scolding herself for being such a wimp, she walked quickly along the corridor to her apartment, but when she rounded the next corner and saw her door slightly ajar, the fear slammed through her once again.

She stopped dead in her tracks, grabbed her gun from her bag and pressed herself up against the wall.

She swallowing back the fear and forced out some steady breaths, then turned and started to creep slowly up to her door, her weapon trained straight ahead.

.

.

Another minute passed and Don glanced back at his phone. "Come on Jo. I'm not leaving until you text me a smiley." He murmured. Suddenly it started trilling in his hand and quickly he brought it to his ear.

"Jo. . ."

" . . . . . . "

"Russ?" He sat bolt upright in his seat, the unease now crawling up his spine. "Everything okay?"

". . . . . . "

He gripped the phone tighter in his hand, pausing for several seconds as he tried to process what Russ was telling him.

". . . . . . "

"What did you just say?"

" . . . . . . "

Terror and rage slammed his chest. "My God! When the hell did this happen?!"

" . . . . . . "

His eyes widened in fear. "Thirty minutes ago?!"

He dived out of the car and sprinted across the busy road toward Jo's apartment building, ignoring the car horns beeping noisily around him. "Why the hell didn't I hear about this sooner?!" He shouted angrily down the phone.

". . . . . . "

He swore under his breath, hung up quickly, and slammed through the main doors into the building.

.

.

Jo stepped out of her bedroom as the shock continued to bolt through her.. Someone had broke in and destroyed everything.

Pages had been torn out of all the books and files in her office,

Everything in her bathroom had also been destroyed; Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotions smeared all over the bathroom wall.

Her two bedrooms had also been trashed.

She forced herself to take a deep, shaky breath and glanced fearfully around her lounge.

Here in the lounge and kitchen area, her glass and china had been smashed to pieces, along with her ornaments and photo frames. Her table and her wooden cabinet had been knocked over and the rest of her furniture had been shredded with some kind of knife The same one used to slash her bed.

She forced one foot in front of the other as she approached her couch. The slash markings looked almost identical to a Ryder knife. She staggered back and hit the wall behind her, her breaths becoming fast and rapid as a memory flashed through her mind.

_Lucas Rohr carried a blade around in his pocket . . . _Her heart froze in her chest._ It was the same size as a Ryder Knife._

Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside the corridor. She forced back the paralysing fear, charged across the lounge and ducked behind the door.

Don slowed his pace, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as he crept along the corridor and through the open door into her apartment.

She jumped out from behind the door and started to press down on the trigger, but he was faster and knocked the weapon out of her hand before she managed to get a shot off.

She screamed in fear as he slammed her back against the wall.

His eyes widened. "Jo?" He could hear her frantic gasps and quickly reached for the switch.

Immediately the lights came on, but she refused to look Don's way and started to fight against him. "Get off me!" she screamed

"For God sake Jo It's me!"

He tried to calm himself down, but it was damn near impossible, what with the adrenaline slamming through his system. "Okay listen to me. . . Jo? . . ." He stopped mid-sentence, cursed inwardly and grabbed her wrist as she went to punch him in the face. "Jo Stop! . . .It's Don!" He shouted.

Through the dark mist of fear she recognised his voice and her eyes flashed up at his.

_Oh my God. . . Don? _

Immediately she stopped struggling and the relief swept through her. She was sure she would have ended up sinking to the floor like a wet sponge if he hadn't have pulled her out of the apartment that very moment.

Once in the corridor, she tried to force back the emotions. "I'm sorry. I thought you were . . ." She looked away. "Nevermind. . ."

"Stay here and don't move from this spot, okay?"

All she could manage was a nod.

Don went back into her apartment and reappeared less than a minute later.

Anxiously he glanced around, then started to lead her back along the corridor. "I'm gonna take you somewhere safe until this all blows over."

She stopped abruptly and pulled away from him. "Where are you taking me?" she asked shakily.

He swallowed hard and started to move towards her. "Somewhere outside Manhattan."

She stepped back and raised her voice at him. "I'm not going to a safe house!"

He shot forward and grabbed her hand before she had a chance to back away again. "I'm not giving you a choice in the matter, now come on."

"Don stop!" She tried to pull away, but he continued to drag her along the corridor. "You can't force me to stay in a safe house. I refuse to sign the forms."

Don swallowed into an aching throat as he continued to drag her to the lifts. "There are no forms to sign Jo."

.

.

Later that evening Don walked into Mac's room and handed him the pizza. "There you go."

Mac glanced up at him and frowned disapprovingly.

"You didn't want a pizza?"

"Jo was suppose to be bringing me the pizza."

"Jo couldn't make it." Don looked away and released a deep, unsteady breath as he grabbed the chair behind him. He turned back to Mac and faked a smile. "She's fine, but when I circled her apartment building half an hour ago, her curtains were drawn. I think she needs to rest, don't you?"

Mac fixed Don with a steady gaze and paused for a few seconds before answering. "Sure." Slowly, he grabbed a slice of pizza and took a bite, not taking his eyes off him. "So, have you got any fresh leads on the case?"

"No." Leaning forward, Don grabbed a slice of pizza from the box and quickly changed the subject. "So have you asked the doctor when you're getting out of here?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Don sat bolt upright in his seat and choked on a mouthful of pizza.

_Crap!_ He grabbed some water from Mac's table beside his bed and gulped down several mouthfuls before staring back at him. "I thought you weren't aloud out of here for another four days?"

"The Doc's decided I'm well enough to continue my recovery at home now. . . so there's nothing you need to tell me about the case?"

Don cursed inwardly and chucked the half eaten slice of pizza back in the box. "No. Now how about we talk about something else?"

Mac sat up in his bed and glared angrily at him. "Cut the bullshit Don and tell me what the hell's going on!"

Adam came flying into Mac's room and skidded to an abrupt stop in front of Don. "We're still running the DNA on the hair found in Jo's apartment, but I have some good news. It doesn't belong to . . ."

Don shot out of his chair and fixed Adam with a fierce glare, silencing him immediately.

Adam gazed across at Don totally confused.

Fear tightened Mac's chest. He shot out of the bed, clutched painfully at his lower chest and charged across the room towards them. "Tell me what's happened? Where's Jo?"

Slowly, Don turned and met his intense gaze. "Someone broke in and trashed Jo's apartment."

Mac's eyes widened. "What?"

Don sighed heavily and started pacing around the room. We don't know exactly when it happened, but when Jo returned to her apartment earlier, she found her door slightly ajar. Clara Philips who lives just along the hall told Police that Jo's door was shut when she left for work this morning. This afternoon Lindsay, Danny, Adam and Sheldon searched Jo's place for evidence."

Mac stepped toward him. "Where is she?" he asked, his voice low, measured.

"She's fine Mac and she's somewhere safe. That's all I can tell you."

He grabbed the front of Don's jacket and slammed him up against the wall. "Tell me where she is?!" he shouted.

His jaw clenched as the pain shot through his back. "I can't . . . do that Mac! It's too dangerous for you two to be together now that . . ." Don stopped mid-sentence and released a long unsteady breath. ". . .now that Jo's apartment's been broken into. . . Now get your hands off me."

Mac released him and whirled back around to Adam. "This could be nothing to do with Cole. Perhaps it was a burglary? Was anything stolen . . ." Mac's voice trailed off when he saw the glum look on his face. "Wait. . ." he moved quickly toward him. "You were saying you found hair traces in Jo's apartment.

Adam swallowed into a dry throat and shifted his gaze to Don. "Yes we . . . also found a partial print, but nothing more."

"And before Don rudely interrupted, you were about to say who this hair trace _doesn't _belong to."

He released a long, pent up breath and glanced away.

Mac raised his voice at him."Tell me now Adam!"

"Alex Cole." he answered quietly.

Don sighed in relief. "Thank God." he whispered.

Mac turned back to Don. "Cole's . . . in prison." he said anxiously.

"No . . . He's not. We . . . don't know where he is Mac."

Mac froze to the spot as the shock started to bolt through his system. "What?"

Don pushed out a long breath and sank into one of the chairs. "I got a call from Russ at 11:00 this morning. At about 10:25 – 10:30, they were transporting Alex Cole to New Jersey State Prison. They were driving along Harper Road when Chris Taggart saw a chopper hurtling towards them. Apparently, they noticed a big metal clamp attached to it. Russ and the other officers tried to shoot it down but it still managed to get low enough to attach the clamp to the prison Van and lift it out of there."

"My God." Mac sank back against the wall, the Icy, cold fear now tearing through his heart. "Cole actually. . . escaped?"

Don leaned forward in his seat and rubbed at his tired eyes. "Yea." he sighed. "He was one step ahead of us yet again."

"Er. . ." Adam took a hesitant step forward. "It's okay. The person who broke into Jo's apartment wasn't part of Cole's gang either."

Mac and Don quickly glanced back at him.

Adam took a deep unsteady breath. "We know who the hair belongs to."

Mac's eye's widened. "You know?!"

Don jumped out of his chair. "Well for God sake Adam tell me so I can go and arrest this sonofabitch."

Adam shifted his eyes nervously back at Mac. "The hair traces belong to . . . Christine Whitney."

Mac stared back at Adam as the fury slowly darkened his eyes.

Don muttered a curse and rubbed at his forehead. "I can't believe this."

"Neither could we. That's why we ran the hair traces several times." Adam shifted his eyes nervously back at Mac. "The partial print's Christine's too . . . I'm sorry."

Mac swore under his breath and moved quickly to his bedside table.

Don dived around the bed towards him when he saw him wrench open the door and start pulling out his clothes. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to find Christine." he spat bitterly

"Mac. You can't do that . . ."

He whirled around and shot Don a cold, hard stare. "Watch me."

.

.

_**SO THIS STORY HAS TAKEN A NEW DIRECTION, SO I THINK WE WILL HAVE FURTHER ACTION TO COME. ;)**_

_**OH AND I GOT THE IDEA OF THE CHOPPER WITH THE METAL CLAMP HELPING COLE ESCAPE FROM THE NEW SEASON OF HAWAII 50, LOL!**_


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